In recent years, the European Union is going through an unprecedented period of search for identity and orientation, which is perhaps unprecedented. After the euphoria of the 1980s with the completion of the Single Internal Market, and of the 1990s with the achievement of Monetary Union, the European venture seems to have lost its dynamism and orientation, resulting in a constant crisis.
The European Union, from the earliest stages of its creation, embodied the common vision of the countries of Western Europe for unification, with the aim of creating a federation, through political ferment and based on the will of the states to relinquish part of their national sovereignty, so that to reap the benefits that a future intergovernmental cooperation would bring them. However, such a political union has never been created and the plan for European integration has remained a meteor.
The European edifice is now being shaken.
The modern global crisis has radically transformed the economic and political scene. Now Europe is divided into creditors and debtors, into euro countries and all the rest. Deep divisions are also observed within countries, as inequalities are growing rapidly. Nationalism and Euroscepticism are constantly erupting, gaining more and more supporters. Confidence is lacking, the economic strategy remains problematic and the European Union is looking to the future unprepared, without a specific plan and direction.
The European Union is facing a serious problem of democracy and cohesion, so it is not a real federation. We need stronger common institutions, greater democratic control and more rights for its own citizens, who through their decisions through referendums will be the first basis for a path to a federal Europe.
Europe is in danger because of the Union's inability to take bold decisions and offer solutions. Although due to the pandemic the EU has shown signs of solidarity, taking bold decisions in support of the Member States, it will have to delimit a series of objectives and structural changes that will stimulate growth and bring about economic convergence and fiscal consolidation within the Union.
Stephen Clark is the Director of Citizen Relations at the European Parliament's Directorate-General for Communication, where he is responsible for the facilities and programs of visitors, as well as for managing public events and information campaigns for the Institution.
He was the former head of internet communication, where he was responsible with his team for internet communication, mainly launching the presence of the parliament on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr. Believing in the power of online communication and the importance that public institutions should display in social media tools, believing that online media radically reshapes the nature of representative democracy.
Mr. Stephen Clark will attend the 2nd Cyprus Forum, where he will talk about the future of the EU and what kind of Europe the youth of Cyprus want.
The Cyprus Forum, held on October 2, 2021, seeks to unite civil society, institutions, academia and the business world for the second year in a row.
Bringing together political leaders from Cyprus and abroad, prominent figures from the public and private sectors, the media, business, academia and civil society, participants in the 2nd Cyprus Forum will discuss, exchange ideas and identify new and creative solutions to key issues of public life.
For more information, contact the Cyprus Forum:
tel .: +357 22 678 670, e-mail: [email protected], website: https://www.2021.cyprusforum.cy/
