Posted by dr Walther Heipertz on October 1, 2023 at 21:24 p.m

7th Hertensteiner Talks – Heilbronn on September 23.9.2023rd, XNUMX “Europe now!” – Encounter – Minutes

Number of participants 15-20 (fluctuating)

Moderation and reporting: Prof. Walther Heipertz, Heidelberg

The majority had that Impulse paper not read it yet. Therefore, the moderator presented the essential content of the chapters again. Then, as input, theses were put forward using a flipchart on the conceivable 'inner' or personal state of us more 'committed' Europeans in relation to the current state of Europe, which were intended to enable us to perceive our own fears or hopes in connection with this. The idea of ​​the “encounter” is, among other things, that - unlike in everyday conversations or even arguments - you can observe yourself to a certain extent, experience it better and also focus on it, mediated by the reaction of others to you or the experience of them Reaction of other participants to common objects and situations.

The 'imperative announcement' in the title "Europe now!" is an expression of a strong will, also of a perceived urgency in the face of a multitude of uncertainties and problems in the world, for which one can respond with a Europe that is present and able to act - in the sense of a state of power, one in the World's unmistakably large network of European countries - wants to be 'armed'. The current and further absence of this or a clearly and quickly more positive development - so the obvious opposite assumption - triggers fears with exactly the intensity with which one wishes for its realization.

The mechanism of fear is that it continually increases when there are strong triggers for this - then strong - emotion that cannot be controlled over the long term. It has a paralyzing effect, which in turn magnifies it. A merely gestural attitude of avoiding this unbearable aversion is often to morally attack the actual or supposed opponents of the good. However, due to the contrast with his actual lack of weakening, this subjectively only leads to a further increase in fear and experience of helplessness, all the more so the more vehement the unsuitable condemnation is. A vicious circle.

If you now manage to recognize - in a hopefully still calmer inner state - that the primary triggers of fear actually apply and cannot be changed comparatively 'easily' - as is always the case in politics - then you need it - you don't want it get caught up in the vortex of the vicious circle again - a plan, that is, above all, priorities and posteriorities, around a currently chaotically simultaneous, self-reinforcing, all-killing whole, taking into account the connections into smaller, 'operationalizable' problems and options, of course here too only with an open one Output, to 'disassemble'. These should then be placed in a presumably functioning time series in order to arrive at a continuously - slightly or even more - improved starting position over a future period, as quickly as possible of course, which then fuels itself, tending to solve the problems.

It's about politics. What is crucial for progress is the consent of the people or populations, to which we belong on the one hand, but also differ as an organization or members of one that wants to exert influence. However, we assume that these people have comparable fears, perhaps just not perceived so explicitly, because we are assuming 'objective' reasons, so to speak, which are not hidden either. However, people can also counterfactually or paradoxically - as long as they are not 'selected' beneficiaries of Europe's failure - turn against us and our goals, especially if we use their individual, subjective, even only partially effective fear avoidance strategy still disturbing: as 'troublemakers' who constantly want annoying new things - and therefore always also unsafe things - especially since this is precisely what is currently stagnating and 'failing', so that there is a risk of additional loss of orientation and frustration, perhaps also massive aversion and ultimately a backlash.

If you want to improve your chances of exerting influence and success, you have to have a plan that is easy to understand, clearly structured into steps and appears to be feasible, formulated in the best possible way, i.e. almost 'artificially' in the form of milestones, which appears to be feasible and therefore contains a positive message. takes away one's own and others' fears, or at least does not reinforce them.

With regard to Europe, this also means that as an actor you have to carefully weigh up the ideals or “co-criteria” for this roadmap on the way to Europe with regard to their actual, all-important importance or with regard to the extent to which they are used to which consent to this must be demanded unconditionally and immediately, when on the other hand indispensable other comrades-in-arms, other states for example, see it differently, practice it differently themselves or give it a different weighting in relation to other countries, for example in the areas of the rule of law, democracy, human rights , asylum law, freedom of the press, equal opportunities, etc.

Trust and confidence arise from conviction regarding the achievability of goals, which therefore necessarily requires the avoidance of goals that have not been carefully considered in relation to the risk of continued failure. However, this does not mean the often apostrophized and also demonized “relativization of values” or – one has to put it restrictively – it does not mean a suspension of fundamental ethical principles, which would then also have to be formulated in the sense of something that cannot be violated. It is 'merely' - but necessarily so - about 'tolerable' compromises in the implementation of an ethically justified world, and therefore also for a certain time-defined stage up to that point. What has to be right is 'only' the direction.

If this is successful, competence for the future is created, i.e. the conviction not to retreat into a kind of 'ideal isolation' due to overestimation of one's own abilities. This competence can then manifest itself in the form of agreed milestones on a goal achievement path, with reduced numbers, i.e. a few, but all the more decisive essentials, such as those recently presented in a ZDF interview Manfred weber formulated by the EPP. The condition for working in his party family in the European Parliament is that you first currently supports Ukraine without any restrictions in the war against Russia, so the war of aggression must not be relativized, Secondly The rule of law may not be questioned in very essential aspects, and therefore may not, as a national party, continue to represent the corresponding policies of its own state in Europe, and third that we want to develop Europe further, that is, not to use parliamentary participation with any empty phrases to thwart the stabilization and expansion of the already institutional Europe - as an association to which individual states increasingly subordinate themselves.

If you position yourself like this, you become - just visually and 'in the echo to yourself' - a potential 'successful', adaptable and yet firm in important principles that you don't hide. You also become predictable and assessable for others. You coached yourself.

For this we have to change our language and our thinking. We must become more immodest and more modest at the same time in the sense described above. Our precarious self-confidence would be overcome in this way because this is the only way there is any chance of overcoming all current and future difficulties. This is how many leading “Europeans” thought in the past and also adapted to changes. This even provides fulfillment and gives you courage and joy, even if there is no guarantee of success.

However, some participants made it clear that from their point of view, instead of fear, they saw 'just' uncertainty, especially among the people around us. The more active people are perhaps more likely to have real fears because they see the risks more. There is now a greater distancing from institutions, and at the same time there are new topics or a new format for these topics that are no longer so closely associated with institutions and established political decision-making mechanisms, such as climate change. You have more diffuse, primarily and 'unconditionally' 'parallel' storylines in your head. There is a real turning away from politics. This also creates a culture of “life from below” or “life on a broader scale”. This is a new way of thinking and feeling that is more “explicitly peaceful”. However, it was objected that declared pacifism in particular could also be a transfiguring reaction to one's own helplessness, a variant of helplessness that 'talks itself sane'. Sometimes it's even a way of hiding indifference.

However, a lot of uncertainty arises because what has already been achieved is not shown clearly enough. However, this was countered by the fact that it had just been said that many people no longer had open ears for this “good news”, rather a basic negative skepticism. They also don't want to be part of this 'functioning apparatus' or become 'caught' in it through their own, perhaps even 'very brief' interest. That just has the flaw of the “apparatus”.

In addition to the 'rather indifferent ones here' and the 'quite peaceful ones there', there are also those who deal with politics very aggressively and actually have a general aversion to it, behind the complaint about "those up there" who just do everything in their own pockets, the “angry citizens” find it ominous or now hate the creation in community, the balancing of interests.  

All of this doesn't make it easy for us. However, as already described above in the inner-psychic dynamics, the decision to 'transform' the habitus of sovereignty in an almost artificial and willful manner helps against the discouraging effects of this, like something that one 'decidedly convinces' oneself of. Then it is possible to discuss things again and put them in an order, even if - as in reality it is always the case - only on a probatory basis. Such a 'school of thought' and 'style exercise' is essential and can - so to speak in self-therapy or mutually in 'foreign therapy' - until further notice, i.e. before completely new catastrophes occur, decisively change the attitude towards the positive, just as one does in private life area in conflict, when the effort to change perspective suddenly puts things in a different light.

Some also made it clear that there was no need for this “urgent self-healing from such discouragement in Europe” because there is already a lot of European substance and cooperation, i.e. a lot of “edifying” experience, for example in the context of town twinning. The term “broad Europeanization” was chosen here, in contrast to a - perhaps too predominant - discussion of “vertical Europe”. So much has already been created across the board to create such a solid foundation that, fortunately, the top leaders of Europe - official representatives and institutions - already trust in it not only explicitly, but also implicitly, so to speak 'automatically' can “build on” this with their initiatives and announcements.

There are even many continued town twinnings with municipalities in Great Britain, where this institutional European framework no longer supports this. This awareness will certainly arise both 'from above', i.e. through an increasingly better and more binding 'official roadmap' with realistic goals, but also 'from below', i.e. on the basis of an already substantial and progressing European experience of the people also strengthened even further, even if it is not always obviously visible from the outside. After all, it is already the case that even politicians in very obstructive countries, even if they have a majority acquired through elections, cannot simply ignore this, at least not sustainably.

In the end it became clear that around two thirds of the participants would attribute to themselves such positive experiences as described above and thus also a better internal 'stability' in relation to Europe, for example through their participation in town twinning or as members of parliament . This is an experience that speaks for itself, so that this topic of “fear” really needs to be put into perspective; perhaps it is only a determining factor for those who are not so close to it, but are still “fearing” for Europe. One should speak of “concerns” so that the “driven aspect” does not deform the discussion.

The others, including the moderator and author of the impulse paper, also agreed that for them - thanks to this easily understandable "minimum confidence" - this fear had reduced, and in no way deepened - in keeping with its otherwise fatal nature. This is almost a good effect of the “Encounter”, if you will, a successful exchange. However, these experiences - and some of those with “positive experiences” agreed - continue to be strangely “little connected” to the currently threatening propagandistic and real-political setbacks in relation to a Europe as an important factor in the world. So perhaps there is also a “Europe of different speeds”.

There was also consensus that we as members of the European Union, i.e. from the perspective of a non-partisan organization to promote European unification, should look intensively at the possibilities of a clever, planned approach in Europe, and should have a clear idea about priorities and Posteriorizations, in a good, of course personal, 'mixture' of emotionality and rationality, in order to then go out with this equipment before the European elections. The current work on a “European Manifesto”, which will soon be finalized in the committees and in which many members of the European Union have participated online, certainly offers plenty of material for the arguments and concepts we want to represent. It is therefore of course very important to study this paper intensively when it comes out soon, so that you can make propaganda for the European elections as such among your friends and beyond, with strong arguments and well motivated.

If we are 'equipped' in this way, i.e. with a good foundation and at the same time the recognition that it is necessary to adapt and, if necessary, to relativize our own position if the situation changes significantly, then we have a confident perception of Europe, and not only as a more or less vague hope, good chances. That must always take precedence over any public skepticism that affects the whole thing.

Posted by Semin Bristina on October 22, 2023 at 18:41 p.m

Dear Prof. Dr. Walther Heipertz,

In addition to your minutes from the “Europe Now!” discussion group, I would like to add that we participants also debated how “natural” Europe has become, especially for us younger people. Many of us don't know any different. Travel without borders, pay in euros, no customs fees when shopping online, we hardly know any other way. It is important to demonstrate these freedoms in order to arouse interest in Europe.
Likewise, the majority of the group agreed that we are not afraid, but rather feel concern and uncertainty when we observe current developments.