We have a Europe. What’s next?

The European Union was born from a dream. Those who founded it were people with vision and high ideals, such as Robert Schumman, Kondrad Adenauer, Alcide de Gasperi or Jean Monnet. Their dream was continued by other visionaries: Edward Heath, Francois Mitterrand, Jacques Delors and Helmut Kohl.

The Europe they wanted was a Union of values, a strong area, united in diversity.

Is the Europe today the one they have dreamed to?

Last days news reveals us shocking information. Greece has publicly admitted that they provided false information to the European Union. Bulgaria succeeded in this series of disclosures, recognizing that they also provided false information to the Union regarding the actual level of its budgetary deficit. Certainly, in the coming weeks or months, other countries will be added to this list.

Trust between the Union states began to shake, and availability to offer support between the member states decreased substantially.

The European Union was born from a dream. Those who founded it were people with vision and high ideals, such as Robert Schumman, Kondrad Adenauer, Alcide de Gasperi or Jean Monnet. Their dream was continued by other visionaries: Edward Heath, Francois Mitterrand, Jacques Delors and Helmut Kohl.

The Europe they wanted was a Union of values, a strong area, united in diversity.

Is the Europe today the one they have dreamed to?

Last days news reveals us shocking information. Greece has publicly admitted that they provided false information to the European Union. Bulgaria succeeded in this series of disclosures, recognizing that they also provided false information to the Union regarding the actual level of its budgetary deficit. Certainly, in the coming weeks or months, other countries will be added to this list.

Trust between the Union states began to shake, and availability to offer support between the member states decreased substantially.

In the current global economic crisis, solidarity and mutual support between the Unions states are fundamental benchmarks. Debt of most European countries has increased substantially in the last year, which will make economic recovery of these states very heavy and lasting much longer than originally estimated. And in this particular moment, those fundamental benchmarks of the Union that I mentioned earlier are more fragile than ever.

It is very important to understand why we got here and especially how we are able to return to the “right path” of the Union. It’s more than obvious that we have even a leadership problem, not only at the level of member states but also at the Union’s level. And I fear that will be necessary to shake it from the ground, in order to replace it on the basis of mutual trust and assumed shared values, as its founders originally built it.

It’s not enough that we managed to build a European Union. If it will not be also really a union of values, respectively if we will not be able to manage this common area from positions of respect and responsibility, then it will not be else than a sad annexation of countries that seek to maximize their benefits.

Thus, the challenge is open. We have a Europe… How we proceed further?