Tuesday 17 February 2015

Intolerance

The strangest phenomenon of intolerance is that the intolerant require that their intolerance should be tolerated.

Sunday 15 February 2015

London, Madrid, Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm

Jihadists and the European far right are allies in terror and they are declaring war against free speech and European democracy. 

Sunday 8 February 2015

My vision for a federal Europe

Here is a brief presentation of my vision for a federal Europe, which is rooted in a democratic European Constitution.

Europe's democratic, social and economic development in the postwar period is unprecedented in the world. A divided and war-torn Europe has turned into a united, peaceful and democratic Europe with a social model that don't exist anywhere else in the world.
This has been done without the expense of Europe's diversity.

Despite Europe's success, Europeans can't relax and believe that the positive development continues by itself. The financial crisis is an example on how fragile the union is when there's a crack in one of its corners.

The Europe of today plays a too important and significant role in citizens daily lives for us to be able to defend the intergovernmental structure that the Union have today. First, the EU revealed its inefficiency when it came to dealing with the financial crisis. Secondly, the interstate system also creates very little opportunity for civic transparency and participation and makes it difficult to hold leaders accountable.The EU have grown out of its intergovernmental suit.

Europe is also facing new democratic, social and economical challenges and threats, both domestically and in the globalized world. If we are to create the best conditions for a continued, positive development and at the same time secure democracy and peace for all EU citizens it requires a substantial democratic and structural reform of the EU. Below I list the most necessary reforms.

1st
a) citizens participation must be central at all levels of government in Europe. Both the legislature and the executive power must be directly elected by the people.
b) The national representation should be distinguished from national governments and elected in separate national elections

2nd
Fundamental rights of citizens and the Union scheme and structure must be entrenched in the Constitution.
a) The Constitution shall consolidate the Union's and the Member States competencies and thus the distribution of powers between the Union and the Member States. The power must lay as close as possible to those it becomes so it that it strengthens the influence of the people, national sovereignty and to protects the Union's diversity.

Below I list some of the skills that should be on the federal level. Legislative, executive and management.

Foreign policy 
diplomacy, defense, internal security, customs, coast guard, migration. UN and other international cooperation bodies.

Environment   
climate, natural disasters, international agreements, research.

Europe's supreme court.

The internal market.
The internal market requires common rules in several areas. The four freedoms.

ECB
Independent European Central Bank responsible for a single monetary policy.

How realistic is this vision?

My conclusion is that it is not only realistic but also that it is necessary.

In the aftermath of the financial crisis, many leaders in Europe advocated and stressed the need for the EU to be reformed towards a federal Europe. It has also emerged a countless number of European grassroots organizations, NGO's and think tanks with the stated goal to pursue and advocate for a democratic and federal Europe.

Today's and tomorrow's challenges are clear and we must debate how European citizens should be able to stand strong in the face of these trials.





Monday 2 February 2015

The freedom of speech debate

There is a big difference between being hurt and being vilified. Why don't we talk about that in the debate about freedom of speech?

Secure security

Security = democracy, tolerance, rule of law, humanism, solidarity and education. 

Sunday 1 February 2015

Modernisation and true reform of Islam

Modernisation and true reform of Islam can only become a reality if the States that is dominated by Islam are democratised and opened up to the outside world. The medieval view of Islam and the Quran is strongly related to policy and it dominate governance in many of these countries. Mainly because of political interests. The Islamic countries that have pursued a more moderate view of Islam and of religion as a hole have been characterised by other internal and external conflicts for a long time and its been a fertile ground for Islamists to spread their message and to recruit misguided youths on.

Christianity was modernised and liberalised when the policy of Christian country's did. Not on its own.
In Christianity we see that there is a return to a more conservative and literal view of the Bible. Even of the Old Testament that is once again being politicalised. This is linked to the political unrest and partly to instability in the West and in many other parts of the world.

If we are to combat religious and political fundamentalism we must build from below and from an international perspective. It's impossible to hide from the world today.