Brussels, 27/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 26 March, the results of the survey carried out by the FutureLab Europe think-tank on the question of European identity and the role of European citizens in the construction of a new Europe (see EUROPE 10582) were presented to the European commissioner for home affairs, Cecilia Malmström. Confronted with Europe's “lack of vision” with regard to its response to current and future challenges, the commissioner welcomed initiatives such as the survey, which revealed positive results despite the current sombre period. She also said that it was now the turn of the new and young generation to take hold of the reins of the EU.
Although participants agreed on the need to strengthen integration and cooperation between European countries, the very concept of a European identity and criteria defining it were the subject of a controversial debate. Gareth Harding, the director of the Missouri School of Journalism in Brussels, said that they did not have a clear idea of what the EU stood for and the outlines of the EU could therefore be defined by a number of values or a common history, as well as by geographic borders. Harding was sceptical about the possibility of there being a real European identity today. He underlined that “the day will come when we feel a little more European and a little less English, Belgian or Italian” but this day has not yet come. In reply to the question of whether a European passport is a fundamental component of the European identity, he explained that administrative reasons were principally behind the need to build European citizenship rather than a feeling of attachment, and that there is an artificial side to a policy for building Europe. According to Malmström, the idea of European identity is to a certain extent a question of geography but it is also mainly due to “values, relations with our neighbours, common history and destiny”. She highlighted the fact that “we can never construct or impose an identity”, which is why she has some reservations about the proactive promotion of European values and lifestyle by the institutions.
The debate on European identity was followed by questions regarding democratic legitimacy and dialogue with European citizens. According to FutureLab Europe, these two aspects are currently lacking in Europe. Within a perspective of bringing European citizens and institutions closer together, Malmström welcomed the conclusions from the FutureLab Europe report that propose to develop an online platform where citizens can share their opinions and suggestions or participate in public hearings or meetings with EU representatives. (SD/transl.fl)