Why do we need Europe?
Why do we need Europe? People often asked this question. This article might have an answer for you.
Demonstrators in Ukraine risk their lives to show the world that they want belong to Europe. They risk a lot to express their ambition to join the European Union and become a member.
I am born in Germany and live in the EU, and I’m currently working as an EVS volunteer in the United Kingdom. I´m living the dream that the people in Ukraine are having. To live, to work and to travel free, borderless. Actually we do not recognize often how lucky we are to have this freedom. To be honest you get used to it. Moreover – instead of an merciful feeling - sometimes Europe is annoying. It wasn´t interesting at all at school to learn all the different bits and pieces about European institutions. It´s something you have to do. Like maths – no-one really likes it but at the end of the day it is quite useful. Is this our relationship to the system which gives us so much freedom? Is it just a technical relationship to make our life easier? Or is there more behind it?
People often ask this question: Why do we need this stuff? Why do we need this administrative institution? Why do we have laws, regulations and restrictions? Being overruled by a supernational government is not an attractive feeling. However it is very comfortable to live for more than 70 years in peace and prosperity.
A united Europe is the answer to our history. After decades of wars and power demonstration we are living in a stable time. Freedom, peace and democracy are the values of “our” Europe. The thinking of the old Europe was quite easy: You just kept an outlook of a German or British person – today you have to consider all different minds. This is the result of our past.
International terrorism and climate change, production of carbon free energy and environmental pollution and free prosperity are the key points of our decade. These are global issues which you can not deal with alone. We need a united Europe to find solutions and answers for these matters.
Our economy – especially Germany – makes a big profit from Europe. We trade a lot between countries in Europe and due to the free European market we don´t have to pay any tax. It is far easier to export and import in Europe – we benefit from this every day if we work for a British bank, drive a German car, live in Poland or drink French Wine. Europe offers us a bigger selection of goods – more choices, cheaper prices and a better quality due to bigger competition. Who wants to go shopping in this market? Everyone!
The US administration is currently looking for new strategic partnerships in the Asia-Pacific room. How can we deal without the US military support? The situation in Crimea shows us clearly that we still do need military support. Only if we are members of military or defence networks such as the EU or NATO We can be sure to live in peace.
Unfortunately not everyone thinks so. The election turnout is not as huge as it has to be considering the important role in our daily life. One of the reasons to change the way of electing the President of the European Commission is to make European politics more attractive and the competition should ensure to increase the election turnout. Martin Schulz, the Social Democratic leading candidate, says about it: “With the European Parliament in the past, voters had to cast ballots for an anonymous institution. Now, for the first time, it involves people. Personalization is the icing on the cake of democracy.”
