European Identity

Peaceful, prosperous, democratic and respectful of people’s rights, building talk about Europe need to We Europe is an ongoing challenge. For many years it seemed that Europeans lived on a continent of shared values and a common destiny. No one paid attention to the alarm bells warning of growing divisions across the continent, which have become more insistent since the economic and social crisis. Europe and We need to talk its values, previously taken for granted, are now being contested. These clouds are casting a shadow across Europe’s future, and old demons, long dormant, have started to raise their voices again. about Europe With a deepening values divide there is an urgent need for public debate and a reconsideration of how Europeans can strengthen the European project. Is a “Europe united in diversity” still feasible? Can a consensus be forged on a set of values pertaining to a common European identity? What should be done to preserve European unity? The Council of Europe, with its membership covering Europe from Vladivostok to Lisbon and from Reykjavik to Ankara, and its mission to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law, provides an excellent framework for discuss- ing the current state of thinking and dynamics behind the concept of European identity. For these reasons, the Council of Europe, together with the École nationale d’administration in Strasbourg, held a series of European Identity Debates fea- turing eminent personalities from a variety of backgrounds including politics, civil society, academia and the humanities. European Identity This publication presents the 10 European Identity Debates lectures. The authors identify major issues and challenges and provide an original analysis Debates at the of different aspects of European identity within their fields of expertise. The authors formulate proposals on how to better understand the multifaceted Council of Europe nature of Europe, what it means today to be European, and what should be done in terms of ideas and strategies to keep Europe dynamic and to build a 2013-14 sustainable future. PREMS 101814 ENG ENG The Council of Europe is the continent’s leading Karsten Alnæs human rights organisation. It comprises 47 member Yuri Andrukhovych states, 28 of which are members of the European Victor Erofeev Union. All Council of Europe member states have Martti Ahtisaari signed up to the European Convention on Human David O. Lordkipanidze Rights, a treaty designed to protect human rights, Daniel Cohn-Bendit democracy and the rule of law. The European Court Robert Salais of Human Rights oversees the implementation Tzvetan Todorov of the Convention in the member states. Ana Palacio Adam Daniel Rotfeld http://book.coe.int Council of Europe ISBN 978-92-871-7913-5 €19/US$38 9 789287 179135 We need to talk about Europe European Identity Debates at the Council of Europe 2013-14 Karsten Alnæs Yuri Andrukhovych Victor Erofeev Martti Ahtisaari David O. Lordkipanidze Daniel Cohn-Bendit Robert Salais Tzvetan Todorov Ana Palacio Adam Daniel Rotfeld Council of Europe The opinions expressed in this work are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Council of Europe. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated, reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic (CD-Rom, Internet, etc.) or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the Directorate of Communication (F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex or [email protected]). Cover photo: © Shutterstock Cover: Documents and Publications Production Department (SPDP), Council of Europe Layout: Jouve Council of Europe Publishing F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex http://book.coe.int ISBN 978-92-871-7913-5 © Council of Europe, September 2014 Printed at the Council of Europe Contents PREFACE 5 Thorbjørn Jagland Secretary General of the Council of Europe INTRODUCTION 9 François-Gilles Le Theule Director, European Affairs, Ecole nationale d’administration EDITOR’S NOTE 13 Piotr Świtalski Ambassador, Director of Policy Planning R OOTS OF EUROPEAN IDENTITY: CHALLENGES AND THREATS 21 Karsten Alnæs Norwegian writer and historian, author of History of Europe EUROPE: CULTURE ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, OR WHO ARE THE LOSERS? 37 Yuri Andrukhovych Ukrainian novelist and poet, co-author of My Europe RUSSIA LOOKS EUROPE IN THE EYE 45 Victor Erofeev Russian writer, author of Encyclopaedia of the Russian soul EUROPE IS STRONGER THAN YOU THINK, IF WE REINVENT OURSELVES 51 Martti Ahtisaari Former President of Finland (1994-2000), 2008 Nobel Peace Prize laureate GEORGIA AND THE REGION’S EUROPEAN ASPIRATIONS: BUILDING THE FUTURE ON A VIBRANT PAST 57 David O. Lordkipanidze Paleoanthropologist charting the origins of the first Europeans QUO VADIS EUROPA? 63 Daniel Cohn-Bendit Essayist and politician, leader of 1968 student demonstrations, MEP (2009-14) Page 3 EUROPEAN IDENTITY: THE PAST WAITING FOR A FUTURE 69 Robert Salais French economist, author of Le Viol d’Europe : Enquête sur la disparition d’une idée IN SEARCH OF EUROPE 81 Tzvetan Todorov French essayist, philosopher and historian of Bulgarian origin CORE EU CHALLENGE: DEMOCRATIC DEFICIT OR TRUST DEFICIT? 91 Ana Palacio Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain, member of the Council of State of Spain EUROPEAN VALUES AND THE SEARCH FOR IDENTITIES 101 Adam Daniel Rotfeld Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, former director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) ABOUT THE AUTHORS 115 W e need to talk about Europe Page 4 Preface urope can be proud of its history; for many centuries it has been a centre of progressive thought and ideas. There have been many periods in history when E Europe has thrived politically, economically and culturally, sharing its knowledge, institutions and achievements with other parts of the world. But there have also been dark days in its history and these lie deeply within Europe’s understanding of itself. The atrocities of the 20th century, unprecedented in the scale of their horror, should serve as a constant reminder and warning. After the Second World War, Europe managed to overcome animosity and conflict between neighbours and build a space of peace and prosperity where democracy, the respect of human rights and the rule of law were able to flourish. After the fall of communism in 1989, this space was extended to central and eastern European countries. With this expansion eastwards, Europe felt confident that it was safe from severe political conflicts and immune to military battles. But events in the territories of the former Yugoslavia and elsewhere brutally proved otherwise. Today, European unity and its capacity to respond to international conflicts is being put to the test in Ukraine, where the ongoing tensions constitute a threat to territorial integrity and our common values. But the challenges facing Europe do not only relate to foreign policy; we are in the grip of long and deep economic and social crises. Demography offers one example: Europe’s population is ageing and demographic decline is predicted. Possible solu- tions involving immigration are considered too risky politically and nationalistic and xenophobic rhetoric are becoming commonplace, playing on people’s fears as they face globalisation and a long-lasting recession. Extremist views espousing nationalist rhetoric are finding their way into the mainstream discourse, thereby forcing European governments to adopt more national-oriented measures, based on defending their national interests. Europe is blamed as a source of the problem rather than being seen as a part of the solution. The results of recent elections to the European Parliament confirm this worrying trend. If Europe is to find its rightful place in a globalised world, it must speak with a united voice. Currently, as the global centres of gravity shift, a lack of shared vision combined with severe economic and political problems mean that Europe is being sidelined; the emerging new economic powers are challenging the dominant role of Europe. Page 5 It is in this context that the need for a constructive debate on the concepts, implementation and desire for European identity has taken centre stage. Europe is at a crossroads and a renewed vision of what it means to be European is required. This vision should be based on far more than shared economic interests – we need to build a Europe of shared values and we need to identify a unique European conception of how to live together. The European space is a place where diversity should be embraced. Migration and the opportunities brought about by easier cross-border mobility have contributed to the diversity of societies. At the same time, higher levels of migration within the European Union and throughout the entire continent are exacerbating people’s tensions and fears in a difficult economic context. Europe’s leaders ignore this at their peril. But the responses must come from the light side of European history, from our history of exchange and fairness, not from our dark history of mistrust and conflict. Many people are increasingly disillusioned with European institutions. They ques- tion their pertinence in the new world order and the institutions themselves seem unable to speak in a clear, comprehensible manner about what their mandate is, why it matters and how they could implement it in a way which enables the European project to move forward. National governments add to the problem by blaming “Brussels” for policies which they themselves initiated and approved. The threat of a renationalisation of Europe is gaining momentum. The Council of Europe, as an intergovernmental organisation comprising 47 European member states, has an important role to play in helping to determine a positive “voice of Europe”. Our task is to rekindle a belief in Europe as a broad community of citizens sharing a common heritage, humanist values and respect for human rights, democratic institutions and the rule of law.

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