Sustainche likes Europa re-loaded ! Part I
After 125 posts in his Blog Sustainche™ is sure that his worldwide audience knows that Polar Bear Sustainche™ is a Geography student (from Greek γεωγραφία – geographia, lit. “earth describe-write”). Geography provides his foundation to better understand Sustainable Development, which refers to the three pillars of Geography alike Sustainable Development, namely Physical Geography (environment), Social & Cultural Geography (social & cultural issues) and Economic Geography (economy).
And, it shall also became apparent that Sustainche enjoys discussing recent politics (from Greek πολιτικός, “of, for, or relating to citizens”), history in large (from Greek ἱστορία – historia, meaning “inquiry, knowledge acquired by investigation”) and economy (from Greek οἰκονομία “household management”). Do you notice something … ?
Yes, many idioms that we use in our today’s daily life originate from the old Greek language. How can it be different ? Homer’s famous Iliad, which is commonly dated to the 8th century BC, is the earliest literature to be found in Europe. It is in Greece and on the shores of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea where Europe was born. In Greek mythology Europa (Greek Ευρώπη Eurṓpē) was the daughter of the Phoenician King Agenor and his wife Telephassa. God Zeus felt in love with Europa and escaped with her to Crete Island. Today’s name of the continent Europe has ultimately been given by the Phoenician princess Europa – how nice Sustainche enjoys to add !
So far, so good ! But what is the situation of Europe and the so-called European Union today, in the year 2011 ? After centuries of wars all around Europe, it was the hope of European Citizens after World War II that Europe shall be a peaceful continent and it shall be finally united. The traditional arch-enemies, France and Germany took the first steps to overcome all hatred that prevailed for such a long period. Starting from the earlier European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) a European Economic Community (EEC) was formed by six countries in 1958. Greece was not among these founding states of the EEC, but joined what was then called European Communities (1973–1993) in 1981 followed by Portugal together with Spain in 1986. The European Union (EU) was formally established when the Maastricht Treaty came into force on 1 November 1993. Today, the European Union is composed of 27 sovereign Member States. Sovereignty, however, is a permanent source for EU scepticism. While looking back in history Sustainche has the strange feeling that the decline of Europe as a continent in large actually started at the same time, when the ‘Cold War’ after World War II by the opinion of many western world politicians was thought to be won against Communism, and it might be that future historians will mark 1 November 1993 – the birthday of the European Union – to explain that nothing at all was united anymore.
No, this European Union is far away from what citizens in Europe were dreaming about immediately after World War II. This European Union every day more became a monstrous bureaucratic institution that only few European citizens really like. The European Union is still not democratically organized, and this is although since 1979 a so-called ‘European Parliament’ is elected every five years. Somehow it is symbolizing the ‘unity’ of the EU in large that the European Parliament’s plenary sessions are held in both, Strasbourg and Brussels, and additionally the Secretariat of the European Parliament, the Parliament’s administrative body, is based in Luxembourg. What a nonsense, waste of money and a proof of nationalisms ! The European Commission and its President, which from Sustainche’s humble point of view could be a ‘European Government’ and chaired by a ‘European Prime Minister’, is far away from any democratic legitimating. And, to make the long story short, who knows Mr. Van Rompuy … being selected (and NOT elected !) as the first permanent President of the European Council on 19 November 2009 … ?
To be continued !
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