Europe’s perspective: intellectual view
The article under the title „Believe in Europe or die“ appeared recently in numerous European states (France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, etc.). It was written by a French philosopher and intellectual Bernard-Henri Levy in cooperation with other public figures, such as Salman Rushdie, Umberto Eco, Gabi Gleichmann and several others – totally more than 10 prominent European public figures and writers.
European future is attracting attention both by politicians and intellectuals. Some of them in „cooperative efforts“ wish to raise issues that are of urgency and importance to everyone. The article makes us think, what’s really is happening in Europe, Quo Vadis?The BC’s editorial board decided to make an English version of the article for BC’s readers. The translation is made after its Danish version from the Danish daily „Politiken“.
Believe in Europe or dieEurope is not in crisis. Europe is dying; of course, not Europe geographically, but Europe as an idea, Europe as a dream, as a plan and as a project. Europe that Edmund Husserl paid tribute to in his two great speeches he gave in Vienna and Berlin, just before the Nazi catastrophe occurred. Europe as an act of will and a statement, a vision and a great region; Europe that our parents created, which was a new idea to the people of the post-war period and intend to bring peace, prosperity and democracy in an unprecedented step; Europe that once again begins to crumble before our eyes.
It crumbles in Athens, one of Europe’s cradles, because Greece’s sister nations in Europe are apathetic and cynical. At that time the Hellenistic movement in the early nineteenth century fell on fertile ground, came droves of European artists, poets and great thinkers – from Chateaubriand to Lord Byron (and siege of Missolonghi), from Berlioz to Delacroix, from Pushkin to the young Victor Hugo – Greece’s rescue and fought for its independence. It seems today that a long time ago.
While the Greeks are preparing to fight another war, this time against a new form of decay and subjugation, it appears that the heirs after the aforementioned great Europeans cannot find better things to do than to scold, stigmatize and demeaning. Like through the strict austerity measures, Greeks have been instructed to accept rob their brothers the fundamental principle of sovereignty, which they have invented not so long ago (in historic terms).It crumbles also in Rome, Europe’s second cradle, its second cornerstone. Rome, together with Greece and a spiritual aspect of Jerusalem is the starting point for Europe’s moral and scientific learning.
Rome is the second place where the fine dividing lines between the law and between man and citizen was pulled; then the dividing lines formed the basis of the democratic model that has given so much not only for Europe but for the whole world. Rome, where spring now is poisoned of Berlusconi’s devil’s efforts and all that this man – who will not leave the stage – stands for.The spiritual and cultural capital and the capital of a country that, together with Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain now are collectively mockingly called ’PIIGS’ of financial institutions, which has neither conscience nor any memory. The country, which has enriched a whole world of beauty from Europe, exhibited now as the continent’s sick man. What a painful and humiliating irony…
It progresses, and populism makes its way, like chauvinism and other hateful, exclusionary ideologies that united Europe otherwise expressly aimed at moderating and push aside, but now again so shamefully looking forward. Where it seems to be long ago that France took to the streets in solidarity with a student who had been offended by a party leader whose thoughts were as callous as his memory.The crowd sang: "we are all German Jews! ’. Where do they occur, however, remove all the movements – in London, Berlin, Rome and Paris – as expressed solidarity with dissidents from the other part of Europe, the part that Milan Kundera said that the captives Europe, which emerged as the heart of Europe. And what about the small international collection of free birds who 20 years ago fought for the very same European heart and soul in Sarajevo, which was bombarded by proponents of a relentless ’ethnic cleansing’? What, however, been of it all? Why can we no longer hear its voice?
Last but not least, Europe is in crumble because of the euro crisis, which will never end. A crisis that no one believes is in order. But is it not also only a fantasy notion that individual and floating exchange without any firmly rooted in a common political line between national economies, resources and fiscal policy? Historically, all the common currencies that actually worked – the German mark after the German Customs Association, the Italian lira after Italy’s unification, the Swiss franc, the U.S. dollar – has been supported by a solid political consensus. Are there examples of common currencies that existed without this political support?Either Europe is taking another major step towards political integration, or enters it out of history and into chaos.
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Eugene Eteris, BC’s International Editor, Copenhagen Baltic-course.com
Appeal to world leaders and humanity
