This May 9 is Europe. It is an ideal date to commemorate the unit and celebrate the achievements: the unification of a continent for many decades divided; the expansion of democracy; the rule of law; public freedoms and fundamental rights; economic and social progress for their peoples with a single market; a common currency; free circulation of people in a space for freedom, security, justice; and advances in a social Europe, more sustainable and supportive.
Without a doubt, many things to celebrate. A lot has been advanced and in a time that we can consider reduced in historical terms, 75 years from the Schuman statement. And we must be aware of it and value it as it deserves.
The European Union is the result of a supranational integration process between sovereign states and its peoples that has reached an unprecedented level and has required great will, common effort and innovation to overcome the innumerable difficulties that have emerged.
Without European Union, our continent would be very different, most likely much worse. And union is a living organism, growing and continuing evolution, subject to many tensions, internal and external. An organism that must continue feeding and taking care.
A different scenario from previous years
Now, this May 9 is not the one of any year. We face increasing challenges in a more uncertain, complex international scenario, at times disconcerting. The war between Russia and Ukraine broke peace in the continent and opened the fear of Russian threat on our borders, making the European dependence on the United States. UU. UU. In the Security and defense Area.
The arrival of the new Trump administration and its first 100 days has only confirmed the worst expectations. Declarations and measures contrary to international order are innumerable. Among others, Trump has threatened to stay other territories, even by force (Panama Canal, Greenland, Canada). He has also dismantled American humanitarian aid and cooperation. He has even given the order of withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change, the world Health Organization and other international organizations, in addition to initiating a tariff war.
In terms of security and defense, he has sown doubts about the strength of NATO and American support, an essential alliance and support for Europe since World War II. Beyond considerations about whether there are only exalted statements or negotiation strategies, the truth is that vulnerabilities have only increased.
-The message that everything is negotiable is left in the air and that, instead of following the multilateral international order, we enter a new era in which the law of the strongest prevails, in which each pole will exert control over its area of influence and everything will be allowed, provided that the other powers will not bother.
All these messages cannot be further away from everything for which the European Union has always opted: multilateralism, respect for rules and international order, an open and sustainable trade, international cooperation and the defense of peace (with the resolution of conflicts by diplomacy and peaceful means).
Meanwhile, the demographic decline, technological and digital delay, energy dependence (and still scarce diversification) and industrial competitiveness to improve are added to a common foreign policy and common security still with important limitations derived from its intergovernmental character. On the other hand, need unanimity (difficult to achieve) for decision making complicates things. To which an incipient security and defense policy is added.
And all this in a world that lives the rise of the new global actors such as China or India, the loss (accelerated after the arrival of Trump) of the international leadership of the United States and new violent tensions such as the conflict of the Middle East, the risks of the Sahel, the new encounters between India and Pakistan.
A wide range of challenges that we have to face more uncertainties about the support of the American friend so far. Some challenges that it is a recklessness to try to face from our nation states, which need more than ever a supranational approach and unity. It is difficult to overcome them all together, impossible separately.
More and better EU
The European Union has been able to advance many times throughout its history in those moments of need: let’s trust that it is also able to do so in these convulsive times. And for this, the first thing is to recognize its value and support this path to more and better European Union.
This year, in addition to May 9, various civil society associations have summoned a demonstration for Sunday 11 in the center of Madrid so that the population shows their support for the European Union. It is an initiative that continues the one that was held a month ago in Piazza del Popolo, in Rome, with more than 50,000 attendees. A good opportunity to publicly demonstrate that deserved and necessary support.
