This article examines the European Union's current state, analyzing its strengths and weaknesses within a changing geopolitical landscape. It discusses the rise of Euroscepticism and the challenges posed by populism and nationalism.
The author highlights the historical context of the EU, tracing its roots to shared cultural heritage and the desire for peace after devastating wars. The EU's success in fostering economic growth, social progress, and civil liberties is acknowledged. Europe, for Spaniards during Franco's dictatorship, represented an aspiration for a better future.
The article addresses the EU's current challenges, such as structural issues and a need for adaptation to contemporary conflicts. The need for a re-evaluation of some goals and addressing the ‘culture of complaint’ within advanced societies is emphasized.
Maintaining Europe's cultural standing and its role as a bastion of tolerance and human rights are presented as crucial for its future success. The defense of the liberal order must be based on intellectual convictions, rejecting emotional politics and identity-based nationalism.
The author argues that humanism and culture are the cornerstones of the European project. The article stresses that Europe is not just treaties and institutions; it's a shared will founded on cultural heritage and values, and maintaining this unity is crucial for its future.