Originally published on www.friendsofeurope.org
Europe is in trouble. Everybody says so, newspapers shout out headlines on the “Eurozone Crisis” or, most recently, the “European Crisis”. It started as a Greek Drama – it now looks like a “European Tragedy”.
Is it really so?
No, absolutely not. Europe remains the world’s largest economy and Europeans enjoy a quality of life that others aspire to.
Europeans envision a sustainable and fair global economic and societal ecosystem. This vision was born in the aftermath of the horrors of World War II and achieved thanks to the hard work of our grandparents and parents.
It’s up to us, the so-called “Lost Generation”, to make sure that the results of this decades-long hard work is not lost.
Labour in a progressive society is about realising one’s creativity in a financially sustainable manner. Unfortunately in many European countries a “good job” is one where you earn a secure salary without really having to work too hard.
This type of a “good job” was often in the public sector. This harsh reality killed European competitiveness and created a completely wrong public attitude towards entrepreneurship.
As such, we need to rediscover the joy of creativity and redefine what a “good job” really is.
Europeans also have to rethink what it means to be a citizen. Participation in politics in not only about voting. Citizens need to think, discuss, exchange ideas, contribute and demand.
It’s time to “think European”. Europe needs a leadership which is empowered by the people. Forget intergovernmental and federal options. It is time for courage to speak of building a European Republic.