In a report published on Wednesday 25 September, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) and the European Cultural Foundation (ECF) denounce the European Union’s “blind spots” when it comes to inclusiveness.
“Welcome to Barbieland: European sentiment in the year of wars and elections”, written by ECFR Senior Research Fellow in Politics Pawel Zerka, draws on an analogy with the film Barbie, by Greta Gerwig (2023).
Based on research carried out in the 27 Member States, the study argues that the European Union, perceived as a model of freedom and diversity, is facing a drift towards an ‘ethnic’ conception of European identity, fuelled by the rise of xenophobia and exclusion, in a year marked by the European elections and the conflict in the Middle East.
The analysis refers in particular to the under-representation of non-white, Muslim and young Europeans, as well as citizens from Central and Eastern Europe, in decision-making processes.
In view of this, the study calls for the participation of all EU inhabitants to be encouraged, for an ethnic conception of Europeanness to be rejected, and for a civic vision based on the values of inclusion and diversity to be strengthened.
The report: https://aeur.eu/f/dll (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)