How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world!

William Shakespeare, The Tempest

The European Saga

Today I was walking in the picturesque old center of Brussels, with the stone pavement tickling the soles of my shoes and my eyes revolving in all the shop windows which were sparkling like diamonds. The humid and fresh air was flowing through my whole body and I felt good. Its something that happens to me quite seldom and this time it was different. It was something that I couldnt remember if I ever experienced before. A new feeling was seizing me. First I thought I am just excited by the fairy-like atmosphere enhanced by the blue sunny sky. Suddenly lots of thoughts started to rush in my mind with incommensurable speed. My past and my present merged and evolved in a possible future. I was thinking about the places Ive been and the place where I am now, projecting myself in a distant tomorrow. And then I realized that I am in Europe. That I am standing in the middle of the Axis Mundi - a more personal one, a more idealistic one in the platonic sense. For the first time in my life I felt Europeanat least from the spiritual point of view. And thus I realized that Europe is more than a continent, it is a state of mind. Now I am standing in front of a laptop screen, putting my thoughts together. I still feel good; however Im starting to question myself about the way European society works. An ancient land filled with so much history and so many paradoxes that molded me into the person I am today. I might have a determinist approach in what regards the impact of society upon individuals. After all we are all zoon politikon political animals - as Aristotle said a long time ago. Quite recent in my life I had the chance to interact with people from other continents and that made me more conscious about the European mode of life. I never believed in Fortress Europe but I strongly believe in the Spirit of Europe beyond the metaphysical concept. I believe in a Europe where, like in Platos Republic, only the qualified ones could have the opportunity of governing. I saw in my country how a group of politicians with no moral sense can ruin the hopes of millions and I realized it can happen at a higher level. When so many interests collide in the same point there will be sparkles. And those sparkles can light bon fires across the whole continent. There are too many clusters inside of a space which is more and more dominated by paranoid illusions. History taught us in repeated occasions that people are willing to let themselves governed by leaders with totalitarian features especially when times are hard. I dont claim that such dangers lurk inside of Europe, but I can see how easy potentially dangerous agreements can be imposed throughout the EU and not only. I am afraid of ACTA, I am afraid of SOPA, I am afraid of PIPA. I dont know the outcomes of such legal projects and I fear them because I dont

trust the union of private interest and political one. There is no freedom when these two start merging and this is what I am seeing in todays Europe. I see how power is heading in a singular spot and I have quite a good idea how things will work when that point is reached. I see a future dominated by economic mastodons that will crush the small businesses. I see countries like Romania who will be forced to adapt in a system which is not made for them. Europe is not USAit is not a melting pot; it is a patchwork quilt where each country displays a different color and a different pattern. Europe is a remarkable composition of history and culture and it should stay that way. Even if we stay united by common values there will be differences and I understand that the only way in surpassing these differences is to accept them. To act against the spirit I refer here to Hegels concept of Geist - which is rooted in the nations of Europe is an irresponsible action. I stand for regional governance and sometimes I find that not even states have the necessary administrative means and the necessary will in satisfying regional needs. In this sense I dont agree with the idea of federalization of Europe as it is not compatible with the regional values. I see a Europe united by common economic goals rather than political hegemony. Again I see an unhealthy tendency in standardizations and centralization such as the common currency the Euro. I consider that the free market is able to comply to all of the nations interests as long as their congenital structures are maintained and respected. I saw in Romania how things can go wrong when mixing to separate currencies. How the real estate sector is under the euro domineer while the rest of economy is struggling with the national currency. The outcome was the break of the real estate bubble in 2009. As Professor Hans-Olaf Henkel stated in his lecture held by New Direction The Foundation for European Reform: the one size fits all currency has become a one size fits none currency. In such an economic environment I can only see one principle feasible: subsidiarity. And I go even beyond the nation stateI go to the regional scale where small and medium enterprises interact and develop. It is at that regional level where the idea of laissez-faire is the most neededand the most effective. Maybe I am not in the position of judging what is right or wrong in Europe. Seeing how things are evolving today I think there is an immediate need for changes. Beyond the economic reform there is an urgent need of surpassing the present mentality. A new European Paradigm is the solution: a new way of seeing things, a new direction. I want to imagine a European Union free of political games which reenact the Nietzsches concept - the will of power at a higher level. I want to imagine a Europe ruled by dialog, not by force. Strong countries are arising and global economy will look very different in two decades. Europe must adapt and let go to old hegemonic tendencies. I dont want to see Europe through the Fitch Ratings because I know how unpredictable history is. We cannot know how the current situation will evolve. I for sure dont know but I glare into the future and I see the only thing that can help people: hope. I might be slightly romantic in my political views however I do not neglect the observable reality which is surrounding me and in this sense I declare myself a skepticat least for the moment.