"The Europeans have shown us that peace and unity can be brought to a region with
a history of violence, and in the process they have created perhaps the most decent societies in
human history, combining democracy and human rights with a level of individual economic
security that America comes nowhere close to matching. "
I've had this quote on my desktop for over a year. It's from an article by Paul Krugman called "Can Europe Be Saved?". This article was written over five years ago, when the financial crisis looked like it might just break up the European experiment. I've been thinking about it a lot lately as the Brexit campaign came to a close and the fallout begins to land. It's undeniable that the EU, beginning with the European Coal and Steel Community after World War II, marked the end of armed conflict between the major European powers. Germany and France don't fight wars anymore. However, the Brexit vote in the UK has resulted in a rise in hate crimes. Right-wing nationalism has been on the rise in Europe as well as in the US, with UKIP leader Nigel Farage getting his Leave vote, Poland's restrictions on media freedom, and the number of votes that Austria's Nobert Hofer got in the most recent presidential elections.* So things are pretty odd in Europe right now. But, as S.E. Hinton says in The Outsiders, "things are rough all over."
The idea of the EU as a perfect island of human decency without economic uncertainty is definitely injured. But the real lives of many Europeans have been greatly improved by the EU, and Europe remains a wonderful place to live. Even though there is reason to despair, the effort that the 27 remaining member-states as well as some within the British government are showing demonstrate that the EU will not die without a fight.
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Photo source: Flickr user mpd01605
*These elections were declared invalid this morning, so new elections will be held later this year - the Austrian far-right is getting a second chance.
*These elections were declared invalid this morning, so new elections will be held later this year - the Austrian far-right is getting a second chance.
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