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The future of Europe
"A
day will come when all the nations of this continent, without
losing their distinct qualities or their glorious individuality,
will fuse together in a higher unity and form the European brotherhood.
A day will come when there will be no other battlefields than
those of the mind, open marketplaces for ideas. A day will come
when bullets and bombs will be replaced by votes".
It was Victor Hugo who spoke these prophetic words in 1849. It
took more than a century for his utopian predictions to start
coming true. During that time, two world wars and countless other
conflicts on European soil caused millions of deaths. There were
times when all hope seemed lost. Today, the dawning of the 21st
century offers brighter prospects and renewed hope but it also
brings Europe new difficulties and challenges.
Enlargement of the Union to 25 member states has gone ahead, keeping
to the timetable set by the EU institutions. As a politician from
one of the new member states put it: "Europe has finally
managed to reconcile its history with its geography.". The
period 2007 to 2015 should see further enlargements of the European
Union. In the mean time, its leaders, listening carefully to public
opinion, will have to decide where, ultimately, to draw the Union's
geographical, political and cultural frontiers.
The EU's foundational agreement is a pact between sovereign nations
that have resolved to share a common destiny and to pool an increasing
share of their sovereignty. It concerns the things that European
peoples care most deeply about: peace, security, participatory
democracy, justice and solidarity. This pact is being strengthened
and confirmed all across Europe. Half a billion human beings have
chosen to live under the rule of law and in accordance with age-old
values that centre on humanity and human dignity.
The
current technological revolution is radically transforming life
in the industrialized world, including Europe. In doing do, it
creates new challenges that transcend national frontiers. Nations
acting individually cannot effectively tackle issues like sustainable
development, population trends or the need for social solidarity.
National policies alone cannot secure economic growth, nor can
individual governments provide the ethical response to world progress
in life sciences. Pollution of the oceans by wrecked oil tankers
or the risk of a Chernobyl-type nuclear accident call for collective
preventive measures that safeguard the 'common European good'
and preserve it for future generations.
The enlarged European Union is part of a rapidly and radically
changing world that needs to find new stability. Europe is affected
by upheavals on other continents, whether it be the resurgence
of religious fervor in the Islamic world, disease and famine in
Africa, unilateralist tendencies in North America, economic crises
in Latin America, the population explosion in Asia or the global
relocation of industries and jobs. Europe must not only concentrate
on its own development but also be fully involved in globalization.
While it can be proud of its achievements in trade policy, the
European Union still has a long way to go before it can claim
to be speaking with one voice or to be a credible actor on the
stage of world politics.
The EU institutions have proven their worth but they must be adapted
to cope with the growing number of tasks to be carried out by
a growing Union. The more member states the EU has, the greater
the centrifugal forces become that threaten to tear it apart.
Short-term views of national interests can all too easily derail
the long-term priorities of the Union as a whole. That is why
everyone taking part in this unprecedented adventure must shoulder
their responsibilities and act in such a way that the EU's institutional
system continues working effectively. Any major change in the
present system must ensure that Europe's plurality is respected.
After all, Europe's most precious asset is its rich diversity,
the many differences between its nations. Reforms must also concentrate
on the decision-making process. Insisting on unanimous agreement
would simply lead to paralysis. The only kind of system that will
work is a political and legal system based on majority voting,
and with checks and balances built in.
The
draft Constitution drawn up by the convention is designed to simplify
the treaties and to make the EU's decision-making system more
transparent. EU citizens need to know who does what in Europe
and to feel it is relevant to their daily lives. Only then will
people support the idea of European integration and feel motivated
to vote in European elections. The draft constitution clarifies
which powers and responsibilities belong to the EU, to its member
states and to regional authorities. It makes it clear that European
integration is based on two kinds of legitimacy: the directly
expressed will of the people and the legitimacy of the national
governments. The nation state is still the legitimate framework
within which European societies operate.
The Constitution is a further important step in the process of
getting Europe's nations and peoples to act together. Only the
future will tell whether or not this is to be the final stage
in the grand project envisaged by the EU's founding fathers.