Diplomatic World 67

EUROPE:
A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES
“CRISES ARE THE GREAT UNIFIER”
JEAN MONNET, FOUNDING FATHER OF THE EU
tion process, with its roots in the aftermath of a major crisis.
Again, COVID-19 can have this effect. The next generation
project is an unprecedented injection into the real economy. The
financing through European loans would never have been possible
without COVID-19. But floating on that intoxication, let us
now celebrate Europe, not for its 65th anniversary, but through a
reflection on the future role of Europe. Europe must be big in big
things, but small in small things.
interested in the European market but do not want to respect the
environmental and social values that go with it.
Values, that is what matters. In the coming decades, values will
be central. They will determine which economies have a future.
America looks enviously at Europe’s socio-economic model in
which poverty alleviation goes hand-in-hand with competitiveness.
China cannot survive as a one-party state where its economy
only flourishes under the yoke of politics.
A lot of books are published on Europe. The book “Europe: a
look behind the scenes”, published in French (l’Europe, vue de
IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE …
CHANGING THE EUROPEAN MINDSET
Europe should be proud of our Europe instead of torpedoing it
“If we continue to build our internal market, we align our economic
policy more closely with monetary policy, we develop a
social policy worthy of the name, then Europe can become the
l’intérieur) and Dutch (Europa, een blik achter de schermen) is
On content, Europe has proven that it can realize what was
again and again. Space policy is a good example here. Europe is
best place in the world for quality of life of the citizens” claims
different on aspects and tone.
considered by a lot of people as impossible. The internal market,
a global player in Earth observation. Europe realized the mon-
the author.
although not fully achieved, has become a feat that many envy.
etary union. Many observers claimed it was impossible and yet
First, it is written by a person on the inside, who is active within
And yes, the process is slow. Rome was not built in a day. And
the Euro has existed for 20 years, survived financial crises and
Or as Henri Malosse, President of the Jean Monnet association
the European institutions at various high-level posts such as
yes, construction errors have been made, such as the decoupling
proved to be more stable than ever.
and former President of the European Economic and Social
chief of staff and special advisor to the EU presidency. This
of monetary and economic policy.
Committee states: “The gap between citizens and the European
explains the title of the book. Secondly, the topic is described
Europe has 500 million consumers, with considerable purchas-
Union today is so deep that it can never be bridged without the
in an exciting way and full of spicy anecdotes but does not
But the European project has proven to be solid, and capable of
ing power and with a much better distribution of income than its
author’s pragmatism and his twelve proposed works.”
lose the rationale behind the proposals. And finally, it describes
navigating through turbulent waters and crises. Moreover, crises
counterparts. Stop thinking of ourselves as the continent where
often appear to act as an accelerator for the European integra-
the sun sets, claims the author; Europe should have the confi-
Barbara Dietrich
an original vision of what the role of Europe should be within
dence to impose its values on other superpowers who are only
Europe and the world.
FROM PASSION TO PRAGMATISM
Whilst reading the book, you feel the author’s passion for Europe,
but without falling into the pitfall of what is done on a European
level is done better. On the contrary, between Euro-optimists and
Eurosceptics, he refutes a status quo and chooses a third way:
Euro-pragmatism.
Europe is, in the eye of the author, neither a deus ex machina,
nor a scapegoat, but it can make a real difference to the
European Citizen in certain areas. The European citizen is the
real stakeholder of the European (hi)story. Europe must focus on
those areas where it can really make a difference to the Citizen.
Let us be pragmatic. Focus on the large voluminous works. He
recalls the Labors of Hercules. Using analogy, he enumerates the
twelve works that should be the twelve priorities for Europe.
At the same time, he clearly identifies what Europe should no
longer do. From that point of view, he pleads for a lean and mean
structure claiming that the European institutions have been victim
of what the German sociologist Max Weber calls the inflation
of bureaucracy, with a mushrooming of services and external
agencies. A reshaping is hence necessary, and the best way to
reconnect with the European citizens.
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