Europe, again

Looking at the results of the recent elections to the European Parliament, it seems to me that something similar is happening with regard to the Community institutions as happened in the United Kingdom before Brexit. On the one hand, there are the anti-Europeans or Eurosceptics, who do not stop repeatedly attacking and criticizing everything that comes from outside the borders of the respective country, and who are increasing their degree of influence; and on the other hand, parties and leaders who call themselves pro-Europe, but who limit themselves to saying that everything is going well and that the EU institutions are working wonderfully. I think things are a little less simple and more subtle. I will try to explain myself.

More than twenty years ago, when the desirability of expanding the Union to include the countries under Soviet rule was being considered, one of the questions that had to be faced was whether to opt for greater cohesion among a smaller number of states, or move towards a territorial expansion of the EU’s scope, as was eventually decided for reasons of both political and economic opportunity. Therefore, at that time, the choice was to grow in territory, which undoubtedly meant making greater integration difficult. It is clear that the more members a group has, the more difficult internal cohesion is. In short, it was more difficult to proceed this way. Moreover, bearing in mind that at that time the creation of the euro as a common currency (in some states, not all) was a relatively recent event, and it was not very clear how things would proceed.

On that shaky foundation, the European Union evolved, trying to face successive problems represented by the economic crisis of 2008, the Covid pandemic or, now, the war in Ukraine, but without achieving greater integration in practice, but facing different ways of seeing reality, because it is made up of many countries that have great differences between them. In practice, therefore, far from bringing the European institutions closer to the citizens of each country, for very different reasons, as I said, what is happening is that they are beginning to think that these institutions are an obstacle to national interests and that the best thing to do was to dismantle them and substantially reduce their areas of competence.

This circumstance is made evident by the fact that, according to official data, 48.99% of the European voter list has abstained from voting in recent elections (especially in the countries most recently included in the EU, such as Croatia with 21.35% and much higher in those that have been in it for a long time, as in the case of Belgium, with a participation of 89.82%). It has been observed that the European fact, or, rather, the belonging to a shared reality, has motivated citizens in general very little.

Another circumstance that also highlights this lack of attachment is the high percentage of votes that anti-European or Eurosceptic candidates receive, which is around 20%. And they have seen their ability to exert influence increase considerably. We will see how things end when it comes to the appointment of members of the various Community institutions, an issue that is currently on the table.

Not to mention the fact that even the supposedly pro-European parties have faced this electoral period from an internal perspective, instead of presenting their alternatives and programs for Europe. It is enough to read the press these days to confirm this fact. And not only in Spain.

In short, I believe it is not about “more Europe” or “less Europe”, as each side seems to believe, but about “a better Europe”, which no one seems to want to indicate. Thus, it will be about improving what has already been done, moving rulers forward on the path of solidarity without distancing themselves from the social realities they should serve.

Here is a quote from that article Victor Lapuente Published in the newspaper El País on the 11th: «The best analysis of these European elections was written by an Irish poet William Butler Yeats A century ago: “The center does not resist (…) The best lack conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.” Yeats must have had a prophetic vision of the watchful face amid the green meadows long mark and the height of Alvise Sunday night.”