We “had” a dream… It
was a Europe without borders. Has it already gone? Maybe, at least practically.
Only the border guards are missing, wherefore there are already other kinds of
physical barriers, such as the Hungarian one. Of course a single currency would
remain, regardless. But a United Europe is represented only by freedom of
movement, not anything else. In principle the dissolution of the Schengen
Agreement alone wouldn’t mark the end of EU. Only in principle: as a matter of
fact some politicians are already arguing about what could really remain
without it, because the direct result would be an enormous increase in costs
and reduced productivity, due to the re-erection of national barriers.
Let’s go a little bit
further: a truly United Europe never existed. The concept of its founders of an
“ever closer union” was never accepted by Eastern Countries. Signed up, but NOT
accepted, merely to benefit of the enormous financial aids received back then.
And let’s include UK-“Brexit” as well. The refugee crisis is just showing this
sad reality to everybody, crystal clear! National interests are emerging. In
some cases even regional interests (Catalonia). Fiscal, harsh rules are not
accepted anymore, especially by the more vulnerable Countries like Greece.
Politicians are realizing that defending EU policy is more and more
counter-productive, and adjusting consequently. Nobody wants to lose an
election, although the majority of people is in favour of solidarity (but
heavily conditioned by politics), particularly in richer countries. In my view
refugees will never be re-allocated throughout the EU: we’re sleepwalking,
happily so, while blaming each others’. Decisions must be taken by politicians,
not by the people. If a wider EU response is failing, Schengen itself is failing.
Why are there so many politicians talking about Schengen? Because, one
way or another, they’re all in search of an easy electoral victory. If you
prefer: give “some” people what they want. Moreover: the hallmark of populism
is anger, easily applicable to nowadays events. It can be about culture,
economics, wars, religions, with such an abundance of issues (real or fictional).
In this case might be, or actually absolutely IS, about refugees. It makes
noise, gets attention and therefore votes or in absence of elections,
popularity.
Does it also make you win? (Just) apparently yes, wherefore we all have
hopes and fears, appealing to interests and conceptions pushing against the
prevailing status quo. But it has a volatile nature and can be
counterproductive as promises simple answers to complex problems. We should all
aim to an “ever closer European Union” instead. Populism flourishes in front of
presumed imminent ruin at the hands of opportunistic harbingers of malefactors
(refugees, racists, Muslims & Jews, polluters…throw in everything & everyone).
But its fundamentals are lacking. It might exist within the realm
ranging from easily persuadable people to people accepting even demagogic
extremes, deriving from ignorant demagogues (even in another Continent). The
notion of truly solving problems is a completely different matter than counting
on sheer force of personality, often without contents, fouling the political
arena.
Populism is the ultimate improbable beneficiary of a deeply disenchanted
public, lasting only if such public is continually reassured the battle of good
against evil will never end. Someone hoping to be the future President of The
United States perfectly understands all this very, very well.
But the
majority of people wants the battle to finish, sooner or later. Because 2 or 3
million refugees over 500 million European people is NOT a real problem, nor difficult to be
handled. It’s just a very powerful weapon in the hands of our politicians: it’s
only because of them if Schengen will fail. The difficult way out (at least
there would be a solution) would be TOTALLY embracing the concept of an “ever
closer union”: that’s it.
….Always
humble
Angiolino
(What might you need in your
life? Please kindly visit: What do you lack?)
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