It's become a commonplace: Europe does nothing for its citizens other than produce useless laws that complicate people's lives. Commonplaces, as we know, have a long life and are taken up and propagated, especially by certain people who benefit from getting them accepted: some of the different national political classes (it's so convenient to blame Brussels if something doesn't work), lazy bureaucracies and superficial journalists. Only those who are not in this category appear to understand the advantages of belonging to Europe. Europe began with six members and never asked any country at all to join. If there are now 27 member states, it is because these countries wanted to join and did what was necessary to meet the accession conditions. How many are knocking at the door now, striving to obtain the status of “candidate country”, to the point of testing the very notion of geography?
The example of the euro. Those who are able to travel know that: the EU has become a model to follow everywhere in the world, countries get inspiration from it and would like to imitate it. Europeans have eliminated internal conflicts; they rapidly conquered food self-sufficiency; they have reached an on-average quality of life that is one of the highest in the world; they have designed a model of society that is relatively fair and have a stable currency. The euro is also emblematic: it has put an end to devaluations and re-evaluations that poisoned the common market and which provoked conflicts, humiliation and imbalances. Those who are still not yet part of the eurozone are seeking to join. It is fashionable, however, inside this zone, to speak ill of it and neglect or ignore its benefits. Slovenia, the last country to join the eurozone (as from 1 January next) therefore had this to say to its people: it is a historic success, the national economy will benefit from greater stability and increased investment, participation in itself will bring a percentage point of additional growth every year. Those who are not in it, dream about it, those in it, complain.
The Euro is the first sector in which the free to leave rule ought to be applied: invite those who bad-mouth a Community accomplishment to leave it. If anyone wants to leave, the door is open. The same goes for common agricultural policy: bon voyage to those who don't want it and good luck with global free competition in the food domain. This also applies to the Schengen area: keep border controls for those who want them, and so forth.
Improve the acquis. It is true that nothing is perfect and everything should be improved. There are many shortcomings to make good, and mistakes to correct. Europe has been striving to do this for 15 years; the direction in large part depends on national elections and the decisions made by citizens. The slogan, however, “Brussels is to blame” appears to be immortal. And what about the Lisbon Treaty? Since it has been blocked, we are discovering its advantages: democratisation (a significant increase in the role of the European Parliament); “strengthened cooperation” is made accessible; recognition of services of general interest as an essential element in the European model of society, including the principle of the “universal service”. Should we continue with the list? Those who have been lying are politically disqualified, and the people who have followed them have to understand that it is them who have to change their votes if they want to take part in development or else remain on the side-lines as they so wish.
And yet, too often a different path is chosen: that of justifying those who rejected the Lisbon Treaty by saying that Europe is a waste of time for its citizens. A glance at recent European Commission initiatives indicates that most of them have a single goal of improving the lives of citizens. I'll quote, almost at random, the plan of Viviane Reding to reduce mobile phone costs by 70%; the Small Business Act, which small businesses have been really pleased with; Community aid to fishermen experiencing difficulty, while maintaining the indispensable fishing restrictions; the France/Spain compromise (mediated by former European Commissioner Mario Monti) on the high tension power line linking the two countries and therefore finally connecting Spain up to European electricity networks. In the same context we can cite the Lamassoure report on the shortfalls hampering the Europe of citizens, which is full of interesting observations and important suggestions. These texts and initiatives are more real and more important than the moans about Europe being remote from its people, moans that are parroted in a lamentable demagogic choir, whilst joining Europe is still the dream of all Europeans that are still outside it. (F.R./transl.rh)