LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Autumn 2007

by Henk Jan Ormel

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Sir,

In 1795, the political philosopher Immanuel Kant wrote “zum ewigen Frieden”, his famous treatise on how to achieve everlasting peace between states. Kant didn’t trust “world government” to achieve perpetual peace, but believed in close cooperation of sovereign nations and a combined citizenship. Today, the European Union is on the road to achieving Kant’s vision through a union of member states where people are both citizens of their country and the EU. Certainly, there are ups and downs along the way. We are, after all, in the middle of a unique and revolutionary process of change. But I believe Europe’s experience is grounds for optimism about the future.

I therefore find Nicole Gnesotto far too pessimistic in her article “The growing powerlessness of the west”. Of course, you can see globalisation as a threat. But history has shown that globalisation brings prosperity, so why should this change? Gnesotto sees danger in world demographic trends, with western populations aging and shrinking as a proportion of the global total. But Europe is ready to develop a common immigration policy, which is better than having to deal with overpopulation and epidemics. Other “threats” to the west – ecological disasters, terror, lack of energy supplies, poverty, emerging economic powers like China and Russia – can also be viewed as challenges and catalysts for closer European cooperation.

We should remember that the world probably looked very threatening to the eyes of a Dutchman at the beginning of the 17th century. Holland was at war with Spain, terrible diseases regularly ravaged our people, society was split by religious tensions, the gap between rich and poor was widening and our free provinces were hard to unite. Yet it was the beginning of our nation’s so-called “Golden Century”.

Similarly, the European Union today may look more like a challenge than a benefit to the people of Europe and the process of unification may slow down. However, people will eventually see that the EU is a powerful response to our present day “threats”. Europe’s common history provides us with a set of shared values. We also have strength through diversity, wealth, excellent health systems and the political progress achieved while forging the Union. All these advantages provide us with an excellent starting point to meet the challenges of the coming century. It is a better starting point than that enjoyed by the US, China, Russia or Brazil.

I agree with Gnesotto that Europe at the moment is confused about its identity and lacks political dynamism. But remember Kant’s “zum ewigen Frieden”. Our union started out as a peace process and now offers a model of peace for the world. It is an irony of history that “zum ewigen Frieden” was written in the city of Koningsbergen which is now the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, outside the European Union and a living memorial to the old divisions of Europe. For those of us lucky enough to be in the Union, it’s time to grasp the future in our own European hands!