16 years ago President Lennart Meri uttered these golden words: “Europe is being built by the people and for the people. We must therefore ensure that people have faith in the fairness of this process.” But when and why might faith falter? When rules of fair play are ignored, Mr Meri warned.
Estonia emphatically opened up to the West, sought to fulfil the Copenhagen criteria and joined the European Union. But from time to time there were hints that some, for contrived reasons, were still “more equal than others”, raising uncomfortable parallels with our then-recent past. Mr Meri was troubled – understandably so. And in today’s EU, faith sometimes still falters. Somewhat differently, but, all told, the issue still comes down to fair play.
Today is European Day, but do we know why? How many know who Robert Schuman was who, 63 years ago today, articulated the foundational principles of the European Coal and Steel Community? Unfortunately EU-related subjects tend not to engage the public – except when some measures or restrictions directly impinge on our lives. What has been actually achieved through union is seemingly taken for granted. Investing in that unity seems to breed populist ill will.
Against the backdrop of last centuries’ devastating wars, the EU is an unqualified success story. To put it simply, people have tried hard to create a good and safe environment in which to live. The European Union’s democratic values enabled the integration of Eastern European countries, emerging from behind the Iron Curtain. Even sceptics who talk of the EU’s demise ought to be convinced by these accomplishments. Who would have thought 60 years ago that peace and stability, decrease of serious offences against persons, increasing lifespan, etc., would all come to be taken for granted?
True, many forms of injustice and inequality remain, despite Europe’s unanimous declaration of basic values. This is a real problem for the EU’s future, not to be resolved with a summit or two. Unavoidably, solutions will require long term developments. And at the initiative of European Commission president José Manuel Barroso and culture commissioner Androulla Vassiliou, Europe’s new narrative has already begun, based on the only foundation imaginable – that of European culture, philosophy and science, filled with diversity yet uniting us all as Europeans.
Only on that foundation may a true federation of free countries, largely in place already in its basic principles, blossom into a union of fair play amongst equal partners
Our best chance to achieve this vision is by actively involving ourselves in the venture through thought and word. For Europe’s wellbeing is our wellbeing, extended to our children and children’s children. And even to those who would pour scorn on the EU birthday, deeming this another bend in the banana.