LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
on Bela Kádár's "How Europe should address the challenges of the 'Asian century'"
Spring 2008
Sir,
It’s hard to dispute Bela Kadar’s view that we are going to have to rejuvenate the European Union in order to keep pace with our global competitors, especially the emerging Asian giants. But there’s no need for excessive pessimism. I doubt that any of the present European leaders wants to relegate the EU to a dusty museum of economic history. And the anticipated arrival of the “Asian century” will shake up the world economy, not just Europe.
Indeed, I believe that intensified competition from Asia will spur the EU into renewed internal market reforms and further opening of our economies. The Lisbon strategy to make the EU the world’s most dynamic knowledge-based economy may well remain a pipe dream. But that doesn’t mean that “innovation” and the pursuit of knowledge-based industries are any less important ambitions. Given sufficient political will, both ideas can be put into practice.
I also think that internal forces are driving Europe towards a fundamental reformation, as well as external competition from Asia. Since the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, Europe has changed drastically. How far away that divided continent seems, polarized as we were by our Cold War dependencies on the Soviet Union and the USA. In my opinion, the European Union today is more independent of mind than ever before. Certainly, we need to do more to regain a competitive edge on world markets. But now the Reform Treaty has been agreed by Europe’s leaders, and so long as ratification goes according to plan this year, there is good reason to hope that the EU-27 can demonstrate greater efficiency and determination.
European nations can also be expected to close ranks in the face of growing tensions over global security, including worldwide fears about energy supplies. I see no other way for Europe to counter these ultra-serious challenges than to unite behind a common policy. In capital cities across Europe, both large and small, you can feel the need for the EU to present a more united front in an unstable world.
Personally, I am convinced that the European Union can only maintain its position in world politics, let alone strengthen its global role, if we develop a common understanding of our strategic objectives. This is a prerequisite for implementing collective measures that correspond to the challenges we face. To achieve greater internal harmony, we also need a shared sense of identity. This will be hard to achieve so long as we underline our differences; it would therefore be useful to develop a more unified “narrative” of our combined experiences as Europeans. Ultimately, the EU will also have to define the boundaries within which we can agree upon a shared European “self-image”. We don’t yet know exactly where these borders will be, nor if a United States of Europe will exist by, say, 2050. Only one thing is certain, the development of the European Union does not stop today.