Post photo: Dr. Manfred Weinmann at the reception of the OB 2005
Dear Lord Mayor, ladies and gentlemen,
As a self-confessed European and Chairman of the Heilbronn EUROPA-UNION, it goes without saying that I am calling for “more Europe” in these difficult times for all of us. More Europe in order to solve many of our current problems together with the citizens of our neighboring countries and to be able to face future challenges better together.
As a Union citizen currently working in Brussels trying to navigate this bureaucratic juggernaut, I can only make fewer demands for Brussels.
This only initially seems to be a contradiction in terms. On closer inspection, however, one has to admit that the call for more Europe should not be confused with a call for centralism, bureaucracy and leveling down.
It is not for nothing that we European federalists have had the motto “united in diversity” written into the European treaties and have never – at least to my knowledge – called for a European capital.
Our current problems and future challenges cannot and will not be solved in Brussels, Paris or Berlin; at best accumulated, managed and passed on to our children! The solution to our problems lies solely with the citizens of Europe's cities and towns.
The European idea shows us the common goal and specifies the values and ideals according to which we should align our actions. Democracy, federalism, subsidiarity and solidarity are the recipes that, if applied by all of us, will save Europe and its citizens.
Solidarity does not mean, however, that everyone jumps after someone who decides to go under - but to help them as soon as they embark on the road to recovery.
We here in Heilbronn are on the right track, we are trying to live Europe and tomorrow at the 23rd Meeting Point Europe you can all see for yourself.
In conclusion, I would therefore like to thank all actors and supporters of the EUROPA-UNION and its partner associations and wish our politicians the courage to live European ideals and not to succumb to the temptation of centralism, bureaucracy and leveling down.