THE THEN, NOW

AND WHEN OF THE

EU

#graz2014

graz2014.eu

facebook.com/graz2014

A PUBLICATION BY
THE GRAZ MEDIA TEAM

the

EDIT O RIAL
The International Office of EYP has recently
published the Annual Report for 2013. The
numbers presented prove our organisation
to be an exceptional one. With 355 events in
a year, totalling to 971 days of activity and
an involvement of 27000 participants; EYPs
great impact on European youth is indisputable.
While accomplishing so much, EYP continues to develop. The people who move EYP
forward never stop trying to improve the organisaton they belong to, the organisation
they form. In this organic process, EYP, of
course, has its ups and downs. The dismissal
of the media team of the 74th International
Session in Riga was a down.
EYP Journalism has always been a matter of
discussion. Let alone its impact, its mere existence as an essential element of a session has
been subject to dispute. Regrettably, the opinion which downplays the importance of EYP
media nourishes its arguments from a past of
empty, entertainment-oriented outputs.
However, EYP Journalism has come a long
way. The pioneer period of professional and
academic outputs is over. Currently, EYP

Editor:
Berkok Yksel (TR)
Editorial Assistants:
Marc Fisher (AT)
Rucsandra Pintea (RO)
Veronika Wilhelmov (CZ)
Journalists:
Caroline Opperman (NL)
Florian Rogner (AT)
Francesca Gigli (IT)
Kristen Rosario (SE)
Leo Sjberg (SE)
Laure Steinville (FR)
Miguel Vera Campuzano (ES)

This media output is a part of

Project Collateral

media has evolved into an opinion-sharing

platform fitting the European Youth Parliaments educational objectives. With a few
exceptions here and there, media in EYP is
now an indispensable part of both the academic and personal development objectives
of EYP.
With this booklet we, the media team of
Graz 2014, want to prove that a session
without the representation of EYP Journalism does not fit the European Youth Parliaments educational aims.
We have provided 93 delegates with an opinion booklet on the past, present and future
of the EU using only pictures taken by our
team, published high-quality pictures and
videos representative of our organisation,
implemented a participant-oriented social
media connection with another session and
initiated a collaboration project involving
two other sessions to get our voice across
Europe and reach out to more young Europeans.
Graz 2014 was a one time experience. However EYP will continue to have an impact on
many people. Hoping that in the future, the
potential of EYP Journalism is acknowledged and promoted, we present you our
work.

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INSTITUTIONS
IDENTITY
IMMIGRATION
INTEGRATION
MONEY
OPPOSITE
SUPERSTATE
COLLAPSE
LEO SJBERG EXPLAINS THE ORIGINS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE FEAR DEEPLY ROOTED IN ITS HISTORY

LEO SJBERG AND MIGUEL VERA CAMPUZANO ON THE EUROPEAN SPIRIT

FRANCESCA GIGLI GIVES INSIGHT ON LIFE AS AN IMMIGRANT IN THE EU AND THE LEGISLATIVE ASPECT BEHIND IT

MIGUEL VERA CAMPUZANO OUTLINES THE RELATION BETWEEN EUS INTEGRATION AND ITS PLACE IN POLITICS

LAURE STEINVILLE ON DISPLACED AUSTERITY MEASURES

KRISTEN ROSARIO ENVISIONS AN IRONICALLY REVERSED FUTURE FOR EUROPEANS

CAROLINE OPPERMAN DEVELOPS ON THE UTOPIAN UNIFICATION OF EUROPE AND ITS MULTIPLE BENEFITS

FLORIAN ROGNER PRESENTS AN APOCALYPTIC SCENARIO ON THE FUTURE OF EUROPE

THEN

1948 Brussels Treaty

signed between France, Luxembourg,
the Netherlands, Belgium and the
United Kingdom, in an effort towards
European post-war security cooperation as it contained a mutual defense
clause

1985 Schengen Agreement

led to the creation of Europes borderless Schengen Area in 1995 and
1957 Rome Treaty
proposed the gradual abFrance, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Luxemolition of border checks at
bourg and the Netherlands sign the Treaty
the signatories common
of Rome creating the European Economic
borders.
Community (EEC) with its common market
and freedoms.

1997 Amsterdam Treaty

meant a greater emphasis on citizenship and
the rights of individuals, increased powers for
the European Parliament, proposed a Community area of freedom, security and justice
and reformed the institutions in the run-up to
enlargement.

Single European Act 1986

the first major revision of the

Treaty of Rome, establishing
the Single Market and leading the way for the European
Unions Common Foreign and
Security Policy

Lisbon Treaty 2007

Maastricht Treaty 1992

created the European Union and

led to the creation of the single
European currency, the euro.
Expanded the EUs jurisdiction
to Common Foregn and Security
Policy (Pillar II) and Justice and
Home Affairs (Pillar III)

proposed a move from unanimity to

qualified majority voting while transferring more power to the European
Parliament, established the ordinary
legislative procedure and a President
of the European Council and a High
Representative of the Union for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy, and finally
made the Charter of Fundamental
Rights legally binding.

FROM S
TO PEA
SUCCEE
TO FAIL
On May 9th, 1950, French foreign minister Robert Schuman submitted a proposal that would forever change Europe and the world.
A year after the proposal, we saw the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and then, after decades, we
got the European Union. And it was all because of fear.

STEEL
ACE EDING
L
by Leo Sjberg

neutralise competition between European countries over natural resources.

aving just come out of an incredibly devastating Second World War,

countries were determined to avoid another battle. Many European states were
concerned that the newly reached peace
could be scattered at any point, and
hence looked for a way to create strong
ties across the continent. A new form of
union, first mentioned in 1946 by Winston
Churchill, was finally proposed in 1950.

The idea Schuman suggested in 1950

was the creation of the ECSC. The concept was based on the sense that member countries should be so dependent
on each other that starting a war would
be impossible. This was to be done by
founding a common market for coal and
steel for all member states, in order to

The impact of this declaration did not

lie just in the creation of the ECSC, but
rather in its vastness of consequences.
Aside from establishing a single market
across the Community, it also marked
the birth of Europe as a single political
entity. This meant that there could be
general decision-making affecting all
states, which played an important role to
set the standards for the new institutions
that were to come. This decision-making process was also what would allow
a trade union of six members to develop
into an international political and economical union with 28 Member States.
Despite the positive impact that this proposition might have had, it is also vital to
point out two important aspects. Firstly,
this was not a union created in good will,
but rather formed due to fear. The agreement was not out of friendliness and an
urge to cooperate, but mostly seen as a necessity to escape future conflict. Secondly,
the proposition did not really lead to what
it was meant for: it became a union perceived as a political entity, instead of the
trade union as it was initially suggested.
From the very beginning, the main idea
was to reduce tariffs and other trade expansion barriers in order to develop in-

tra-European trade. The ECSC was also

meant to investigate the possibility of creating a free trade area within Europe. This
however was not the final outcome. The
ECSC had started out with the High Authority, the Common Assembly, the Special Council of Ministers and the Court of
Justice but as time went on, what used to
be a trading union grew in political power and activity and founded several new
institutions, each with their separate focus. 51 years later, in 1992, the Maastricht
Treaty was signed, officially established
the EU. By then, there were seven institutions and 11 agencies. Pressing fast forward to present day, there are now over
40 agencies to accomplish various tasks.
Whether or not this should be seen as a
failure comes down, of course, to ones
personal view on the situation. On one
hand, it can be seen as an unnecessary development that has increased
complexity and, while meant to greatly improve European economy, has
actually worked counterproductively
and further caused economic downfalls. On the other hand, it might just as
well have been the necessary step to be
taken for a rapidly developing Europe.
Despite not following the original intent of
the Schuman Declaration, what was once
built out of great fear has now become one
of the main and most powerful political
entities in the world. This is a cooperation
that has gone from six Member States to
28 and at the same time has expanded its
targets to not only include trade but also
encompass much larger questions such
as environment, health and education.
There was a time when the biggest European cooperation was a trade union
composed by only a couple of states.
Today, it is the worlds largest economy
and has the worlds second largest military budget. With such accomplishments,
surely the union that emerged was no
failure, regardless of the original intent.

THE VALUE
OF AN

IDENTITY
written by
photography by

..

Leo sjOberg & Mguel vera campuzano

If asked a simple question, such as Are you European, you would say yes.
But do you feel European? What does it actually mean? It is most likely that
you cannot, see yourself having a European identity, especially since that
concept might be unfamiliar to you. After all, when we get acquainted to
each other at EYP sessions, we do not specifically mention we are Europeans.
Instead, we name our own nationality, since it only feels natural to do so. In a
European context seems different, since, to some extent, we feel disconnected.
The massive cultural and lingual diversity in Europe has lead to large problems creating a single identity, and to understand why that is, we must take a
look at the past.

hile patriotism and pride in ones

country is entirely normal, nowadays it appears that we have stretched our
understanding of our own individual identities, and in doing so what we define as
our nationalities. Nationalism is a belief,
creed or political ideology that involves an
individual identifying with, or becoming
attached to, his or hernation.
The ideology of a politically united Europe
has been evident in the European culture
since the Middle Ages and this idea has
inspired the proposals of many forms of
confederation among our countries. Within our continent there are many individuals that believe that Europe is, or more
commonly, should be a single nation. The
European Union is, in essence, a form of
these proposals. While the EU is not a single nation, it does represent a significant
effort being made in order to further connect European countries.
European Nationalism is not necessarily
the movement towards federalism, it is
about feeling united by our geographical
location. While the United States became
one nation and thus has a US nationalism,
if anything we, the citizens of Europe, seem
to have latched on to our own sense of nationality. While this seems like a strange
concept, it is certainly a factor. In some
cases, people throughout the continent

and especially those who are involved in

business and politics feel more European
than even their own nationality.
A Pan-European identityrefers to the sense
of personal identification with Europe. At
times Europe is used synonymously with
the EU, as 500 million European citizens
also are a member of the EU. However, many European countries are not EU
Member States and that does not prevent
them from believing themselves to be European. In many situations, people are beginning to think of themselves as both Europeans and nationalists. Pan-European
means that the European identity applies
throughout Europe. The European way has
led to people developing contrasting opinions on national and European ideologies
and ways of thinking. Europeanism is a
related term that refers to the assertion
that people of Europe have a distinctive
set of political, economic and social norms
and values that are slowly diminishing and
replacing existing national or state-based
norms and values. At present, European
integration co-exists with national loyalties and patriotism.
A development of European identity is regarded as a vital objective in pursuing the
establishment of a politically, economically and militarily influential united Europe in the world.It equally supports the

A development of a
European identity
is regarded as a vital
objective in pursuing
the establishment of
a politically, economically and militarily
influential united Europe in the world.
10

foundations of common European values, such as of fundamental human rights and spread of welfare. It also inherently
strengthens the supra-national democratic and social institutions of the European Union.The concept of common European identity is viewed rather as a by-product than the main goal
of the European integration process, and is actively promoted.
There are however dangers of this European identity that have
surfaced. The increase of pride and unity among European
countries can lead to an exclusivity of its members. While it
is of course a positive sign that Member States are showing a
level of unity and appear to be achieving the ambitions the EU
was founded upon, it is important to remember that we are
not an exclusive club and thus it is not acceptable to exclude
and deem ourselves better than outside European borders
and neglect our neighbours and beyond. This pride in being
European should be acknowledged, but it should not enable
us to reject others. Inclusion and unity is what has brought us
to this point, taking any other position would be a step in the
wrong direction.

While in recent years there seems to be an increase in the Pan-European identity approach there has also been a growth in actual nationalism which opposes this. The United Kingdom has not
been shy in emphasising its wish to leave the EU and become a
more self-focused country. France and the Netherlands, nationalist parties are uniting in euroscepticisms as shown by Le Pen and
Wilder. Throughout the continent the struggle between these conflicting views is growing.

11

photo collage product of Project Collateral

delegates from Graz - Valencia - Frankfurt

2014 Graz Youth Summit

Graz2014 officially begins with

the Opening Ceremony

12

#now

13


TO SEEK
REFUGE
IN EUROPE
HOW IT FEELS

BY FRANCESCA GI

14

IGLI

16 years old, is a Syrian teenager. Amiir, 21, comes from Afghanistan. Bashir, 53,
Yana,
is the Somalian father of two beautiful kids.
Their lives, origins and histories are completely different; yet, they share an experience
that brings them closer and binds them irreversibly.
When Yana was 14 years old, indeed, her parents decided she should have a better
future. They put their money together, read a prayer, and bought her a ticket to Spain.
She would travel on a ferry with an acquaintance, and once arrived she would find a
job and settled down. After all, Europe was the land of opportunities.
Amiir thought the same when he decided fleeing to Italy. He had a passion for arts at
the time, and wanted to study in Rome the monuments hed long dreamed of. With a
little job in the evenings and at weekends, he would have attended university, far from
Afghanistan and the nightmares he was still having of his violent childhood.
Family was, on the other hand, Bashirs reason to leave: although he was already on
his fifties, he fled from Somalia to send some money home, and save his beloved from
a future of certain poverty. He would have gone to Greece by boat, and found a job at
his arrival.
Things went differently instead.

15

the EU, and has to do with Immigration

Policies.

lthough on opposite shores, the

boat waiting for them was indeed no
more that some piece of ramshackle
watercraft: when Yana entered, she
almost couldnt breathe for the number
of people crammed inside. Amiir set sail
at night, when the sea was high. At some
point he believed he would have drowned,
but when he finally got to Sicily he thought
everything was over. He didnt know that it
was only the beginning of his misfortunes.
Nor did the others.

The ones succeeding to make it onto

Spanish territory, on the other hand,
dont face a better perspective: detention
centres run by the government are the
only form of assistance they can hope
for. Thats where Yana celebrated her 17th
birthday, but she was not the only young
girl in the camp.
To Amiir it went even worse. When he
landed in Italy, indeed, he was lead to
one of the many reception centres, which
revealed to be a sordid, overcrowded
camp. The day he left it, he ended up on
the street, sleeping in train stations and
constantly struggling to make a living.
Bashir found a similar welcome in Greece,
being retained in a squalid camp in the
outskirts of Athens.

The stories of Yana, Amiir and Bahir arent

unfortunately single cases, but represent
the sad reality shared by the majority of
refugees migrating to Europe everyday.
Thinking of finding a better future, as well as
employment or education opportunities,
asylum-seekers cross the Mediterranean
heading to southern European countries Countries like Italy, Greece and Spain
such as Turkey, Italy, Greece and Spain as have indeed been facing increasing flows
first stops.
of immigrants in the recent years, many
times failing to provide them with shelter,
But the latter hardly ever fulfil their due to inefficiency in their asylum systems.
expectations: when fleeing to the towns However, their examples go far beyond
of Ceuta and Melilla, Spanish enclaves in national borders, being the symptoms of
Northern Africa, migrants will for instance a wider European issue, more than the
bump into a six-meter-high fence, built single problems of a country. This issue lies
purposely to keep them out.
down in the very legislative foundations of

Often revised, but still in the focus of

criticism, the European Union has been
working on them since 1999, the year the
first idea of a Common European Asylum
System (CEAS) was put forward. This
framework, aimed at sharing responsibility
to welcome asylum seekers among
Member States, over the years has seen
the birth of the directives that regulate
migrations today.
Among the most important and discussed,
the Asylum Procedures Directive and the
Dublin Regulation are indeed the very
laws, which decide Yanas and others
future in Europe.
The Asylum Procedures Directive was first
born as the lowest common denominator
between Member States, but its regulation
was often accused to be vague and
inefficient. Derogations did in fact allow
Member States to keep their own rules,
even if these werent respecting agreed
standards. Criticism over the Asylum
Procedure resulted therefore in its revision,
focused in particular on fastening asylum
operations, clarifying rules on appeals in
front of courts, and helping immigrants
with special needs.1

Migration currents in Mediterranean countries.

photo by Francesca Gigli

16

The Dublin Regulation, instead, established the Member State

responsible for the examination of the asylum application, in
order to provide a rapid transfer of the asylum seeker to that
country. Most often, anyway, the responsible Member State would
be the one through which the refugee first entered the EU.2
But doesnt it sound contradictory? On the one hand the EU is
indeed trying to harmonise the Member States asylum legislation,
so that immigrants can be wisely distributed in the European
area, but on the other the refugees responsibility very often lays
in the country of their arrival.
Its not difficult to imagine, therefore, the difficulties faced by
Mediterranean countries in handling a number of immigrants
which exceeds their capacity; in this light, extreme actions such
as raising up barriers around enclaves acquire a new sense, and
sordid camps are seen from a different perspective: the one of the
hosting Member States.

called for a complete revision or replacement of the Dublin

Regulation4.
The refugees are not anonymous people. Theyre Yana, Amiir,
Bashir, but also many others who carry their stories with them,
and leave everything in seek of a better future. Although some
countries are already overburdened by asylum applications,
the EU as a whole still holds a perspective for immigrants,
and has the moral duty to make asylum for them a reality,
more than just an ideal. Whether it will be necessary to
revise the entire Immigration Legislation or not, Europeans
must not forget they were once immigrants themselves, and
they therefore hold a debt with humanity for the help they
received in past times.
Immigration doesnt only have to do with refugees asylum,
but also and most of all with the moral dignity of the entire
European Union.

Take Italy, for example. Only over the Easter weekend more than
1,200 African migrants were escorted ashore in Sicily by Italys navy
and coast guard, bringing to nearly 22,000 the total of those arrived
on Italian shores this year3. Their asylum didnt only increase the
already unsustainable countrys burden, but most of all affected
the condition of the refugees, who happen to be the first victims
when the system is not working. A concern in this sense has been
also reiterated by the Council of Europes Commissioners, who

17

EUROPEAN
EUROPEN
EUROPISCH
EUROPEO
AVRUPALI
EUROPEISK
EUROPEES
EUROPEU
EVROPSK
EIROPAS
EUROOPPALAIIN
EUROOPA
EUROPOS
18

FORCE THROUGH UNITY

The EUs international importance is one of the the main reasons for
which many countries apply for membership. Where does this status
originate from?
BY MIGUEL VERA CAMPUZANO

ntering the EU has always been and

still is a desire for many countries, Iceland, Turkey and Kosovo being some of
the many examples of this phenomenon.
Membership, however, comes with consequences as well. The wish to membership
only can have strong implications on a
countrys both home and foreign affairs
which was precisely the case of Ukraine,
when Euromaidan interfered with Russias
plans to establish new connections in Eurasia. And there is obviously a reason for
that to happen.
Firstly, security and economic resources
are two major advantages of becoming
a Member State. The sense of stability
is what determines European countries
to join the Union, along with the idea of
an open-border, free trade coalition that
could provide them with the opportunity
to easier economic growth. In other words,
European states strive for protection and
rely on the EU to offer them the desired
support.

NEN

On the other side, as EU institutions have

transformed along the years, making
their way into their current form, Member States have slowly gained influence
on Europe-wide decision-making and,
hence, on international politics, another
key benefit to EU membership. It is mainly
because of the geographical and econom-

ic prosperity that the EU has a strong pres- by reducing their territory and population,
ence in the global scenario we experience but also result in the EU losing geopolititoday.
cally relevant areas as well.
One can easily notice, however, that the
on-going economic and social crises have
made their mark on European development, leading to large discrepancies
among Member States. When Europe first
hit this rough path, EUs financially stable
countries had to immediately assist the
struggling economies such as Greece, Portugal, and Spain, in order to prevent a full
collapse. These measures were efficient up
to a certain point, yet they have increased
the level of EU scepticism, since indebted
countries had to reimburse a very controversial interest that got up to almost 8% in
very concrete cases. What was supposed
to be an unconditional help through the
EU, which eventually turned into a loan
with high interest. Having this image of
common potential distrust amongst Europeans, the links between Member States
are weakening because of this uncertainty,
thus limiting free boarders and trading.
Similar accounts are to be seen on a smaller scale, in the form of nationalist manifestos that, over the past five years, had made
their marks on European politics. Scotland, Catalonia, Flanders or Bavaria were
not really taken into consideration as entities before the outburst of the financial
crisis, and it was not until then that desires
of independence became a serious social
and political fact. Peoples reaction to the
repercussions of the crisis is an act of simple escape. This wave of nationalism endangering European integration will not
only make the Member States lose power

So, unlike the United States, Europe is

facing a complete challenge with its integration process due to the rising post-crisis Euroscepticism and nationalist movements threatening European integrity.
When looking to the actual reason of the
US power in the world, it is clearly seen
how it is not only because of their political
and economic nature, but rather thanks to
its strong federal-system integration and
cooperation among states putting aside
multiple coordinated coup dtats organised all over the world every now and then.
So that sense of unity and integration is
crucial to be taken into consideration,
since it is the main reason behind EUs
power. Taking into consideration how
our administrations and enterprises have
already adapted to an integrated Europe
and the positive result it had on our economy, it is safe to say that we have reached
a point where dividing the Union is not an
option any longer.
We need to stay strong so that our economy does not fade away in the current
financial and social context. Bearing in
mind that our countries images on international level would probably be insignificant without such a solid umbrella entity
as the EU, we need to remain united, in
order to sustain our position in global politics and be able to help each other. What
we need is force through unity.

19

20

by Laure Steinville

AUSTERITY
INJECTION

In the days before the session, President Yanukovychs unexpected withdrawal from an unprecedented EU trade integration pact caused
the streets of Kiev to flood with protestors. The
ongoing unrest was met with a brutal police
crackdown which has exacerbated tensions
with EU Member States. But does withdrawal from the agreement necessarily symbolise
a step away from Europe back into the arms
of Moscow? And what do the protests tell us
about the wider culture of social resistance in
Europe?

domestic
terrorists
caused a massive

On April 10th, 2014, suspected

explosion outside the Bank of Greece, a building situated in the heart
of Athens.

hese events were not intended to result

in casualty. The purpose was mostly
symbolic, since it occurred a few hours before the anticipated return of Greece to the
international bond market1, an event considered as a milestone in the countrys journey through the debt crisis. The Greek government announced last Wednesday it was
issuing a four-year bond, the first one since
its banishment from international markets in
2010. The government has called for the return to the bond market as further proof that
Greece is emerging from its critical state.
After two years of crisis and three years of recession. Eurostat2 reported that the European economy experienced significant growth

in the second quarter of 2013, and continued to recover at a steady pace in the second half of the year. Short-term indicators
predict a continuous economic expansion
over the next few months, as recovery is
expected to become increasingly driven by
domestic demand spreading across Member States.
Internal markets are set to continue developing in the near future, slowly replacing
net exports as the main source of profit.
Discrepancies between Member States are
to balance out, particularly as even those
Member States most heavily affected by the
crisis are on the road to recovery.

21

hese reassuring words shape European political

THowever,
discourse; this is what EU officials want us to know.
there is a larger, darker picture, in which un-

employment reaches an alarming 11% rate, with more

than 26 million Europeans out of work. In Spain and
Greece, unemployment rates are swelling over 26% with 50% youth unemployment. These figures are directly related to austerity measures, so called adopted
policies by politicians praising austerity for reducing
the debt. Nevertheless, the debt-to-GDP3 ratio has increased in all EU states since 2008, and especially in
the Eurozone periphery, where austerity measures were
strictly implemented. Therefore, due to inaccurate financial analysis, austerity measures have only delayed
economic progress.
Moreover, a noticeable increase in poverty in seven
countries challenges the official European Union discourse. In Greece, Cyprus, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Spain, there was a significant rise in youth
poverty and social exclusion due to the austere crisis
management measures,. For instance, in Ireland, income disparity became more visible between 2012 and
2013, with the top 20% of the population earning five
times more than the bottom 20%. Indeed, the emergence of a new poor class, consisting mostly of young
graduates attempting to enter the labour market, is
profoundly troubling. This entire generation is dealing
with poverty from a rather young age and, as it is fore-

22

shadowed, will be facing the same prospects further on.

Therefore, not only can we argue that this financial crisis is
far from being over, but also point out how it has mostly victimised the poor for the mistakes of the wealthy.
As a result, the intensified differences between social classes gave rise to a poisonous political atmosphere. Particularly in Northern Europe, there has been an increase in support
of extreme right-wing parties. They mostly share Eurosceptic views, rejecting any form of common agreement and
are willing to destroy the Eurozone. Unfortunately, this crisis also managed to weaken all European institutions and
bonds.
To quote Charlie Chaplin in his film, The Great Dictator, Do
not despair. Whilst a passive approach will probably not
have a positive outcome, there are alternative measures
that will facilitate financial growth and employment. For
instance, the German government is encouraging higher
salaries by introducing the countrys first minimum wage.
This new legislation is expected to boost consumption, and
will be combined with increased imports from the rest of
Europe. Furthermore, investments in sectors like green infrastructure are likely to boost economic growth and employment not only in Germany but also in the rest of the EU.
Though national measures are clearly important, there is
much more to be accomplished at a European level. The
troika4 should support measures that support development, via investing in innovative projects instead of the

maintenance of austerity measures.

For instance, the European Investment
Bank (EIB) is pioneering development
loans, which is a step towards economic expansion. However, up until
now this initiative has not been sufficiently used due to the time-consuming bureaucratic process. Access to
these loans must be expanded rapidly,
especially for small and medium enterprises, which represent a significant
source of employment mainly for the
young generation.

Europeans must understand that they
can only sustain a healthy and diverse
society by joining forces and working
together. They must collect their resources if they want to exert any kind
of influence on the international political agenda.
There are clear policies designed to
sustain growth in Europe. All we need
is for politicians to have the vision, resources and dedication to put them
into practice.

23

photography by
Florian Rogner

2020 Europe 2020

End year of the EUs ten-year
growth strategy in employment, innovation, education,
social inclusion and climate/
energy.

24

2050 Roadmap 2050

End date of the European Commission
plan for cost-efficient ways to make the
European economy more climate-friendly and less energy-consuming

WHEN

25

EURO
Y
S
P
O
T

BY KRISTEN

uddenly, a certain idea crosses your mind, however only for

just a few moments. That would be you rejecting the idea,
as it seems too unrealistic and absurd. Unfortunately, we underestimate our potential. We like making ourselves believe that
the future is fully planned for us, when in fact it is quite unpredictable.
First of all, it has become universally known that living in a
Western European country provides individuals with better opportunities, compared to the ones Eastern Europe has to offer.
Of course, we are taking into consideration both socio-cultural
and economic aspects of a society with different ideals ranging from social welfare to the countrys GDP. Take Sweden, for
example, which has an especially high standard of living as opposed to Bulgaria.
Coming from a West European country I must regretfully admit
we tend to patronise our Eastern neighbours because of differences on several topics. To name a few, there is the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, which has taken over the media for
the past few months. But then again, there are some other aspects that make us raise our eyebrows when it comes to Eastern
Europe, such as Romania with its protests on allocating 6% of
the GDP on education and Bosnias domestic altercations.
The above-mentioned are some of the more pressing matters.
However, a less extreme example, but at the same time, one
that realistically illustrates the contrast between Eastern and
Western cultures, is the outlook on homosexuality and samesex marriage. The level of tolerance on this matter is significantly higher among Western countries. Debates on what is
the source of this attitude had been going on for a while now.
It seems that this reluctance has its roots in religious beliefs. In
contrast to the elder ones, who have had a more conservative
upbringing, the younger generations are more open to diversity.
In this future scenario that I have previously mentioned, approximately 50 years from now, the current state of Eastern and
Western Europe will be reversed. This being said, the West sides
superiority will have crumbled into a pile of dust. Moreover,
East Europeans will be living the dream by then.

26

Dont judge a man until youve walke

a Mock

Imagin
Eastern Europe surpa

OPE:
-TURVY

N ROSARIO

ed a mile in their shoes.- Atticus, To Kill

king Bird

ne this:
assing Western Europe.

here are multiple scenarios that Europe could face,

such as Turkey owning the monopoly in several European markets. With its infrastructure, service, industrial, and
cultural sectors, as well as high potential for investments,
it becomes the head competitor within the market. Going
up against a tough rival in the East implies businesses in
the West trying to up their game, but possibly ending up
straining themselves so much that they would be forced to
strike out.
Another possible scenario could be mass immigration from
West to East. As educational systems improve in Eastern
countries, the number of youths entering further studies
and the workforce will increase. This can then lead to opportunities for a great amount of the youth population to
enter with new businesses and even give existing ones a
wider customer base. However, as the education system
develops and more people shift towards the East, the West
is faced with an issue of a collapsing system. For example,
there will be a significant drop in popularity of attending
a university in the United Kingdom, but an increase in attending one in Croatia.
There will come a time when Germany faces huge amounts
of debt and eventually becomes bankrupt, for the third
time, and have no choice but to ask Greece for aid. Since,
Greece successfully manages to stand on its own feet and
deal with the eleven-digit sum.
Having mentioned a few examples of what could come
for Europe in the next half century, we need to realise that
these are instances that should not be ignored, but prepared for. Much like the evolution of technology, events
occur at an increased rate. One day it could be you who is
part of that protest against the government or struggling
to survive.
The future of Europe can be much brighter when Eastern
Europe rises. The downfall of the West can give way to
Eastern countries such as Russia the chance to embrace
democracy in all its glory. And who knows, if things turn out
fine, Europe may benefit from having Vladimir Putin Jr. as
the President of the European Parliament.

27

UNITED STATES
OF EUROPE
Is the European Union heading towards becoming a
superstate?

article and photography

by Caroline Opperman

After the Second World War, Europe was aiming for peace. This process
resulted not only into a greatly anticipated harmony, but also in global
economic and political influence. A common greater goal creates a feeling
of unity, which supports the ability to become a major actor on the global
stage. However, resentment between Member States is detrimental to the
process of becoming a federation. One way hatred appears to be settled is
by means of vengeance. Germany as the scapegoat of the EU has had to
repay the harm done in World War II. Such retribution must come to an end
in order to have a unified acceptant Union.
The EU is not a federation, though it contains multiple federal aspects in
its organisational structure. With its current supranational institutions, such
as the European Commission in which European interest is represented,
the next step to become a federation is not that far-fetched. In fact, Robert
Schuman, the European Communitys initiator, had already written that a
supranational Community was the midway between an association of independent states and a federation, which leads to a fusion of states into a
super-state.

28

The most important characteristic of supranationalism is that part of a countrys sovereignty

is conferred to supranational institutions they have
created. The core characteristic is that the EUs
interests as a whole are represented rather than
national interest. Institutions such as the European Parliament and the Court of Justice of the EU
represent the common European interests. It is the
opposite of intergovernmental cooperation which
implies a traditional form of international cooperation between states in which participating states do
not confer powers upon supranational institutions.
In cooperation, the states represent their own interest and thus do not lose sovereignty. Nevertheless,
although intergovernamentalism and supranationalism are opposites, that does not mean they
cannot exist simultaneously. In fact, the entire EU
is a combination of intergovernmental and supranational ruling.

Though the European Union is a midway between federalism and an association of independent states, it does not
mean that both systems are separately
perceived as successful. The danger of
becoming a federation is the trust of
the member states. Currently superstition towards the EU by Member States
exists already and that is partly due to
their lack of sovereignty. In 2012 the UK
called on the European Union to renegotiate its competences to regain some
of their sovereignty, which shows the doubtful attitude of some
states. Creating a strong federation in which conferring decision-making powers to supranational institutions does not have
a negative connotation, prevents the doubtful stance of member
states towards having to give up their sovereignty.
While some of EUs principles or conceptions might seem to have
failed because they did not achieve the interdependence and responsibility towards each other as well as the union as a whole,
it is not that straight-forward. This failure was due to the states
that brought these principles into being deserted them. One of
the most important principles in any form of collaboration is that
all parties live up to their expectations. The European Union was
unsuccessful and therefore another approach must be taken.
Winston Churchill proclaimed in Zurich on the 19th of September
1946: We must build a kind of United States of Europe. He was
convinced that becoming even more federal would also improve
the implementation of the immense body of doctrine and procedure the EU holds.

29

be adapted and economic development

has to be further encouraged.

Several steps need to be taken before this

idealistic idea of the United States of Europe is realistic and obtainable. The economic and legal developments are the
most important in developing into a federation. As stated before, the EU already contains some federal aspects, but not enough
yet. In todays global rapid development,
the EU has to hold on to the competition in
both political and economic fields. It has
to become a federation to keep its position
and take up the role of a global power next
to the United States and China. The EU, as
a whole, does have the capacities and resources to do that. Thus, legislation has to

Implementation of international legislation European level is an important point

of improvement. Currently a lot of European directives exist, but there are few truly
binding laws. Therefore, the EU should
aim for a federal constitution applying
in all member states overruling national
laws. It has to be based on the already
existing treaties. Especially the Treaty of
Lisbon needs to be revised as it abolished
the pillar structure, though the Common
Foreign and Security Policy remained
mainly intergovernmental. The main decision-making procedure is therefore unanimity by which Member States are able
to retain their sovereignty in this field. Furthermore, the constitutional treaty in 2003
has to be strengthened.

Churchill was not the only one with

this view, George Washington said:
Someday, following the example of the
United States of America, there will be a
United States of Europe.

30

Financially, Europe is on the right track to

hold global supremacy. The euro has surpassed the once-almighty dollar as it has
more daily users than the dollar. This confirms that the EU has made a lot of progress on the global economic market. Moreover, the EU is levelling the competitors in
global markets with companies such as
Nokia, Vodafone and Red Bull. Nevertheless, economic development is an ever ongoing process. More economic integration
within the EU is needed to transcend the
limits of the intergovernmental method of
running the EU and especially the Eurozone.

A one-man idea will not hold; proclaiming a political idea alone rarely succeeds.
It is important that an idea is supported
to increase its validity and credibility. So,
bodies promoting a federal EU exist such

as the Union of European Federalists. It

is a non-governmental and supranational organisation which is dedicated to the
promotion of a democratic and federal Europe. It aims to bring together citizens who
desire to work for the federal unity of Europe, act as a catalyst of democratic forces in Europe, and stimulate public debate
on the political content of the European
project. This emphasises the importance
of the involvement of the citizens, which
is inevitably and evidently also part of the
economic and legal development. A federation is built on the strength of its member
states collaboration and that leads to the
mutual acceptance and respect among its
citizens.

is in need of a pan-European binding constitution and economic boundaries between member states must be alleviated.
Schumans initial reference, Churchills
mission and Washingtons prediction are
to become the truth. We are soon to be
true European citizens, under common
European law, trading without any boundaries forming a true federation.

All in all, the United States of Europe will

be able to be a stronger global leading
power than the European Union. The EU

31

Europe without a
written by
photography by

32

Florian Rogner

Union
Europe in 2100

Third World War about to commence, whiles the European Union, as we used to know,
will be far away from existence.
Economic difficulties have led to society members becoming more and more focused
on their own well-being rather than being a part of the European community. As one
can assume, this would result in losing our cultural values and eventually dissolving the
European Union and everything it stands for.
The global financial collapse that started in 2008, along with the Eurozone crisis from
2009, has been the basis for the economic downfall Europe is now experiencing.

33

Preserving a lasting and functioning

Union is a very challenging task and
requires hard and sustained work.

lthough experts predicted the crisis to

soon be over, by also stating that the
Eurozone was officially out of recession at
the end of 2013 , Europe is on a downward
spiral.
Throwback to 2013:
Not only the Eurozone, but also European economy, in general, have been on
an upward path. The establishment of a
banking union was one notable measure
that brought an overall positive attitude
on fiscal stability. Especially because of
this newly achieved consistency and rising confidence in the EU, Euro-sceptics

34

were gradually absorbed by the masses. Anti-Union movements, in any form, have been
oppressed from their very beginning, as they
were an impediment for progress. However,
a broken union, no more unity in diversity
and a general sense of panic were to come
for Europe. Eastern states, more specifically
Russia, took advantage of this struggle and
expanded beyond their boundaries, in order
to enforce their economic ideology all over
Europe.
Due to the strong focus on economy and
politics, culture has only played an underling
role for Europe and, as a result, the focus had
been shifted away from it. A slow but steady

process of inducing nationalism was the

end of common cultural values.
As now, most of EUs main strengths and
benefits have been lost along the way,
and it initiated a process of self-dissolving. More and more Member States are
abandoning the Union, starting with Germany and France, leaving it into the hands
of fiscal destiny. When playing the blame
game, former financially stable nations
argue that Europes struggling economies
have been the source of the downfall,
whilst others blame Germany and France,
as their austerity measures could be the
main cause.

Nowadays, money seems to be influencing

more than trade market. It can buy power, status and shift entire ideologies. This is a process
of individuality and perfectly mirrors what went
wrong with our society. The rational following
step would be the recreation of a union, meant
to tackle some specific issues. The problem is
that, as expected, these problems could relapse at any point. Economists call this process
a business cycle. This is expected for Europe
under a different name: the union cycle. When
trying to join over 20 countries from all over the
continent, while also maintaining their cultural
values intact, misunderstanding and disagreement will be on the daily agenda and this is
a problem that cannot be fully grasped. When
the EU was initially created, people converged
their ideas, discussed them and realised there
was an urge for cooperation and it is their responsibility, as politicians, to act in their countrys interest. Within a union, this responsibility
is transferred directly to politicians. With great
power comes great responsibility. Governing
individuals need to realise this change and
work in accordance with their responsibility in
this matter.

Looking forward, the ultimate goal will be

having a Europe where both mobility and
transactions are fully facilitated. Therefore, there is this necessity of establishing
a universal fiscal policy among all Member States, supported by a framework for
common taxes. After five to ten years of not
fulfilling these goals, the upcoming generations will start questioning the idea of a
union once more and the process, as we
have experienced it, will occur repeatedly.

made its mark numerous times before.

The same can, and hopefully will, happen to the union cycle, which could
be the base for a long-term working
union, built upon solid and also flexible grounds. Preserving a lasting and
functioning Union is a very challenging
task and it mostly requires hard and
sustained work. However, the right approach will turn out to be beneficial, as
significant improvement shall be noticed shortly.

Having experienced the union cycles already in the past, prevalent measures
need to be taken in order to ensure a common basis within the European Union, responsible for keeping economy stable. A
firm Union needs to be able to stand firm
in times of crisis and weakness, in order
to ensure that upcoming generations are
protected and familiar with the concept of
union cycles, which have become as natural as business cycles. Economists from all
over the world have accepted the business
cycle to be a real phenomenon, as it had

The same will

happen for Europe under a different name:
the Union cycle.
35

in cooperation with

made possible through the support of

36