In Europe, the bonds of friendship must never be taken for granted
Vincent Piket says the post-war European integration that has provided the basis for regional peace must continue to be strengthened
Seventy years ago, the second world war came to an end in both Asia and Europe. The end to six years of military conflict, genocide and human suffering is commemorated around the globe.
Sixty-five years ago, with Europe still in ashes, economically and psychologically, the European peace project was started. We celebrate this on May 9, "Europe Day". Visionary leaders from former enemies France and Germany were joined by others to make another outbreak of war impossible. How? By integrating Europe and by forging interdependencies between erstwhile foes.
It has worked. Europe's integration is a daily reality for the European Union's 508 million inhabitants. They can live, work, study, trade, invest, travel, buy, pay and retire across the national border of member states as if they are at home. Member state politicians and officials meet more often than can be conceived elsewhere in the world. It has created a political and practical interwovenness that has made war between EU countries unthinkable.
This achievement cannot be taken for granted, however. It needs to be nurtured, by creating solutions to the problems of EU citizens today. Economic growth, job creation, protecting the common currency, the environment, migration and terrorism are the big challenges. These problems require common solutions. Not because EU officials like it that way, but because it works better.
The trouble is that we need these common solutions at the very time when many citizens are eurosceptic. The EU is perceived by many as the cause of the financial crisis. It is equated with austerity policies, with lay-offs and cuts in pensions. The EU labour market is blamed for wage dumping or abuse of social services. The dismantlement of internal border checks is seen as aggravating illegal migration. These are difficult problems, which some politicians think can be solved by retreating into national positions.
The EU must follow its original recipe: produce concrete results that respond to shared needs and solve common problems. It means continuing the EU's concrete internal solidarity, to help poorer member states converge with the mainstream. It means reducing red tape, without falling for the fallacy that business can thrive without common standards. It means aiding refugees, while jointly combating human traffickers. And it means continuing to pursue high environmental standards.