CULT II Umberto Eco
- an Italian writer and semiologist - has been advocating for a sexual revolution to make “us all European”. In his opinion it is culture, not war, that cements our European identity. He further states that: “The university exchange programme Erasmus has created the first generation of young Europeans.” With this statement, he later proposed his idea of introducing Erasmus for craftsmen and professionals in order to create a more vibrant European identity.
T.S Eliot
- a British poet and writer - once stated that, “the unity of culture, in contrast to the unity of political organization, does not require us to have one loyalty”. It is through this understanding, by focusing on social and cultural values, that a viable future for shared European identity can be found. Focusing on the shared cultural engagement, the common historical inheritance, and the fraternization of peoples that have been steadfast qualities of the European ideal since 1945 will allow European identity and a concept of European belonging to endure among the young generation.
Marine Le Pen
- President of the French National Front – like many other right-wing nationalists has been a big supporter of creating more nationalistic sovereignty instead of a European identity. Her believes include superiority of French law above European law, the organized dissolution of the Eurozone and the return of the French franc. She also strives for abolition of the Schengen area and free movement. The question is whether these believes and the rise of nationalistic views and political parties will compromise the goal of creating a European identity amongst EU citizens.