Europe is crumbling

Post photo: Crumbling European flag | © Shutterstock

The recent events in and around Europe are not only astonishing us European federalists. Europe is not only crumbling at its edges, it is also eroding from its center; and all this 100 years after the start of an unprecedented mass murder and 25 years after the fall of the wall - its end that was previously believed to be final!

Some fellow citizens already suspect that politics must be more than redistributing funds and literally beating empty clichés around the ears of political opponents. Europe is in danger! The Universal Declaration of Human Rights from 1948 only seems to have regional significance and our civil rights, last codified in 2000 as fundamental rights of the European Union, are being questioned more and more often: the secrecy of post and telecommunications obviously only exists on paper, the opinions - and freedom of information is now also being limited within the EU, the freedom to travel, freedom of assembly and the right to choose one's place of residence should only apply to some of our fellow citizens and many of us are increasingly giving up our right to vote and participation in community events Tasks such as working in associations, clubs and parties. As long as we Europeans are promised financial security, we seem to want to swallow everything.

But the recent events are also an opportunity for our Europe! Because it is now obvious where the centralists will lead us with their traditional nationalisms, patterns of interpretation and behavior – back to the 19th century. Let's seize this opportunity and let's give back the values ​​that our ancestors fought hard for. Solidarity does not mean getting as much as possible from government funds, but rather supporting fellow citizens in their endeavors to be able to lead a dignified life. And democracy does not mean watching others make decisions, but informing oneself and getting involved. We are all reminded that freedom and peace are never in vain, they have to be won over and over again.

But let us not be discouraged, our European idea continues to be a very attractive model of human coexistence, because it gives everyone the chance of a happy and fulfilling life. That is why many people strive for Europe and why European values ​​are demanded time and again, even in the most remote regions of the world. We Europeans have to act, we have to stick to our own values, we have to “earn” and “work for” them ourselves and we also have to help other people to establish these values ​​in their countries. All in all: "Europe needs a new feeling of solidarity so that its unity does not end up breaking down due to the excessive burden on the donors and the frustration of the recipients." (Wladyslaw Bartoszewski)