Three Perspectives for Europe 1. John Holten 2. Elina Makri 3. Luis Alvarado Martínez 1. The Wandering Artist: A Vision for Europe It’s not a particularly novel vision for the EU to be a cultural project rather than an economic one. Nevertheless it’s a great source of regret that the EU today is a progeny of coal and steel movement and not the transmission of thought and culture through acts of translation and transnational debate, that it exists first and foremost in the minds of its citizens as a series of laws, financial structures and the Euro currency, rather than a cultural and historical imperative in its own right. Culture has of late played its part, and increasingly so, through the various European treaties, but cultural policy must take on an urgency which the EU has, with its commitment to freedom of expression, cultural funding and inherent hegemonic vision, allowed to foster in the individual artists of the ‘creative classes’. The question is: how will these individual, international artists foster an idea of Europe in the future, what will Europe mean to them? Translation is key, both as a metaphorical idea and as a literal, dictionary-work (albeit digital) take on the word too. Artists, writers, thinkers have always travelled in Europe, escaping persecution or simply driven by a desire for inspiration, exchanging their goods as best they can (think of Zurich during WWI when you had Joyce, Lenin and Cabaret Voltaire all in one place or indeed the Grand Tour tradition of the 18th century) and today look at cities like Brussels or Berlin, centres where people converge and create and revel (even if they are not fully aware of it) in the ideals of the European Union such as freedom of work and travel, respect and tolerance. And yet artists and creative workers are so often propelled by movement borne out of economic expediency: they go to cheap cities and seek out the economically depressed parts of town. The first sign of gentrification is the artist sitting on her Mac in a brand new café drinking a Third Wave latte coffee while she emails a curator in Tallinn about a group exhibition happening in Glasgow… And I think this image of the artist – and this is a translation, this imagining – refers to something much more: her computer is a democracy of forms, a digitized plurality, a hand tool for the globalised age. The printed book might act as a more local, slower tool, and therefore one not to be forgotten. And in between this precarious state of the digital and the printed, the idea of translation can become a new working model of endless negotiation that is already used by a generation across Europe: translation of a wandering methodology into the local language; translation of oneself into a milieu – that is, translation in both directions. And as national identity is being largely left behind in favour of something more amorphous, oblique even, an association with European identity doesn’t seem to be taking its place; in southern Europe young people feel strongly antagonistic toward the EU to the point of outright disdain, fuelled by unemployment, indignation and what they see as decidedly unsocial, draconian economic measures dictated from Berlin and Brussels. So while the creative classes of a generation move to urban centres or abroad to create, mingle and sit drinking coffee as they sit chatting to their international friends online, replicating a cultural European Union in their own way, the larger project would seem to be impeding itself through the focus on the economic and political struggles facing western capitalism as a whole since September 2008. The prospect of Europe as an idealised state first and foremost rests in the idea of cultural translation not reductive multiculturalism, migration as a form of contemporary
wandering not economic or welfare tourism and a culture of identity not identity politics. The EU’s Creative Europe programme, which has been given €1.46 billion to spend over the next seven years, must live up to its remit and not forget the importance and long term power of the individual artist forced to move due to the gentrification any recovering Europe will inevitably harbour, sooner or later, when the undesirable part of town is suddenly chic and economic speculators see the chance for profit. 2. A New Myth for Europe (1) The European Union is an enigma. It is by far the best prototypical, paradoxical and political experiment in history. It is the most successful branch of international law and the world’s most unique seedbed of supranational notions of democracy and political organisation. But now it suffers and has lost some respect: financial crisis, raising unemployment, a blame game between northern and southern lifestyles, while youngsters moan as they emigrate north. We see what looks like two kinds of local ships headed in opposite directions and all the while the contradictions are passing into history. Good heavens, gentlemen, what sort of free will is left when we come to tabulation and arithmetic, when it will all be a case of twice two makes four? Twice two makes four without my will. As if free will meant that! (Fyodor Dostoevsky, Notes from the Underground) A few months ago, while discussing with some technocrats on what southern countries should do in order to get out of the financial crisis, Fyodor Dostoevsky’s hero from the underground came to my mind. I can recall that, present in front of the few technocrats, were French, Greek and Spanish journalists, all arguing vividly in political terms. Apparently one side could not understand the other; Snow White could not understand Cinderella’s story. Suddenly, a German journalist asked the following: “I am the data guy (read: I understand numbers) here and I would like to ask the technocrats: where does “your” growth curb stop, if it stops, and at which social cost, for the social cohesion of a country?” Therein lies our tale… Do we aim for a Europe based on calculation, profitability, efficiency and competitiveness? Values or virtues that do not guarantee a peaceful symbiosis between the north and the south of Europe? And if so, will these different behavioral patterns of different societies guarantee the peace of the continent, the protection of human life, freedom, dignity and the right to live in security in an open and fair society? Mindful of the different cultures across Europe, I long to see a balance over this matter, a European Union based on the idea of ecumenism, as opposed to a flat and flattening globalisation, I would rather experience a dialectic between different and equal civilizations, cultures and modus vivendi, which constitutes after all the unique European heritage. For sure, a better economy will not be a godsend but the European Union will be better able to unite and bridge civilizations. That being said, a civilization does not mean culture or other trendy buzzwords but a very different way of doing things. Are we tolerant enough to see this happen? In his famous Foreign Affairs article, “The Clash of Civilizations”, Samuel P. Huntington writes that “cultural characteristics and differences are less mutable and hence less easily compromised and resolved than political and economic ones.” Put it to the test and cast your eyes upon the history of mankind. What is made by man can always be destroyed by man. To quote once more our Underground hero: “And how do these wiseacres know that man wants a normal, a virtuous choice? What has made them conceive that man must want a rationally advantageous choice? What man wants is simply independent choice, whatever that independence may cost and wherever it may lead. And choice, of course, the devil only knows what choice”. And speaking of the devil, a growing number of populist and nationalist
parties are taking over public opinion about Europe and have shown that they can adeptly employ devious tricks as the European enigma unfolds. The time has come for the Euro-generation, to create a new narrative of a communal European trajectory that will enter and last forever in the history of mankind. To create the myth that will ensure a rematch of the solitary, Faustian bargain. (1) The author uses the word myth with the meaning of a supreme truth through the tales of men.
3. Towards a political Union, slowly leaving the nation state behind The European Integration process is indeed a very complex one and that has to be carried out slowly and step by step. However in the past we have seen and we are still currently seeing how many of the mechanisms which we are trying to implement efficiently like a common currency with the Euro, a banking union and a fiscal union cannot work to its fullest potential because of the lack of one common and strong political union backing up and running these mechanisms. Are we really a European "Union" or just a group of friends wanting to do business together? Until when are we going to ignore the fact that without a political union integration will be frozen? Until when are we going to ignore the fact that we have an egoistic and constant battle for each other´s interests inside the Union, forgetting the core founding values of solidarity, cooperation and democracy? Are nation states like Germany and France willing to give up their power for the common good of all the 500 million citizens? Is the nation state system out of date and not covering our needs anymore? We are part of the only pro European born generation of this continent. Thanks to the great efforts of our parents and grandparents, we do not know what war is, we do not know what visas and borders are, we do not know what it is like not to be able to travel, study, call or work abroad. We are the generation who is enjoying all the benefits of the great sacrifices of the past. Our elders don’t stop reminding us how fortunate we are and how thankful we should be for this. And while being true, and we should celebrate everyday the European integration process and its great achievements, our generation simply does not see peace as enough anymore. What is the vision and new projects for Europe? We need a new project which will re-inspire citizens once again, and most importantly which will allow younger generations to redesign a contract with Europe for many more years and ensure true ownership from the citizens for Schuman´s and Monnet´s dream.