The evil ideology

Nazism and Hitler wasn't born out of nothing, even if it may seem so when we talk about it today. Nazism was born out of a nascent anti-Semitism that slowly grew in Europe after the first world war. With anti-Semitism followed the concept of race and the image that there was a master race, who deserved so much better than the fate they got after the First World War. A scapegoat was needed and it was very easy to dust off and develop the old anti-Semitism that became the most powerful weapon of Hitler and the Nazis. Hitler won his power through "democratic" elections before the coup and before the dictatorship was a fact. Meanwhile anti-Semitism deepened in Europe to the degree that all Jews where animalized.

Today we associate Nazism and fascism with the darkest and most evil of the human mind and by the actions that were carried out in its name, especially during the war, but we must never forget how an entire nation, and later an entire continent ended up in its grip. How boundaries and norms constantly moved forward so that they eventually landed beyond all human understanding. How it was a process over time.

The question is, where are we going today? Where is the process in 2014?  We can once again see how social norms and values are broadened to accept various forms of discrimination, racism and anti-democratic tendencies in our society's. So-called extremists and fundamentalists are annually moving their positions forward. What was unthinkable 10 years ago is now a reality.
The patterns and the process from the inter-war period is repeated all over Europe, from Greece to the UK and Sweden. There are however two crucial differences, and that is the fact that Europe isn't shattered by war, as it was after the great war and the educational level of the citizens of Europe are generally among the worlds highest. That should limit the momentum of the ideological evil, but when?

We are Europe

We can't option ​​out of Europe without deselecting large parts of ourselves. Europe are in many ways just as integrated as most of its member states are, in terms of culture, trade, economy, science and higher education.

Something we rarely think about when we are talking about European integration is that its not comprehensive or complete in any political, cultural or geographicall area.
European integration "in deversity" is best illustrated as a quilt or as number of rings that are more or less integrated in each other.

European integration is much older then our union and much older than our nation states.
The democratic integration, however, is a creation during the postwar period with the aim to pick up where nationalism and the nation state failed, to bring Europe stability and a peaceful development.

The aim of European integration has never been to create a homogeneous Europe where regional and local cultural differences are blurred or weakened, but to strengthen diversity through democratic collaboration. It has influences of cultural federalism, which is in direct contrast to the goal with the nation-state, a culturally homogeneous society witch is organizational characterized by central government, replacing local and regional self-governance.

Nation states set limits and build walls for culture, commerce and people in Europe. Nationalism created more organized unrest and division in Europe than there ever was before. Sadley the nation-state quest lives on in Europe and even within our Union, where we see how nationalism acts against bringing down walls and barriers for culture, commerce and people.

What if the borders and walls are built again? We can only learn from the past, walls do not create stability and peace!

Short-term priorities for reform in Europe

Ten short-term priorities to create and implement the necessary reforms and changes in Europe. (In no particular order)

1. Electing federalists into EP and NP in coming elections.

2. Electing more women and youth into parliaments and governments.

3, Mobilise the European voters to increase turnout and legitimacy.

4. Nurture debates in schools, workplaces, streets and on squares.

5, Strengthen Pan-European party organisations.

6. A joint election authority for the European elections.

7. Pan-European TV
debates between the presidential candidates.

8. Introduction of Pan-European political reporting. (Public Service)

9. Facilitate the ability of  voters to vote in the EU state they are resident in. including NP elections!

10, Require a political and national independent committee to review European democracy and systematics.

A democratic foundation

Europe's transformation and success in the postwar period must not make us naive, we aren't safe and secure from internal threats to our democracy and stability.
There are still obvious weaknesses and cracks in the foundation of the European construction, which allows negative forces to cause fundamental problems and democratic obstacle in Europe.

Some recent examples are Victor Orban's weakening of press freedom and the rule of law in Hungary. Another example is David Cameron's attack on freedom of movement and on civil equality in the Union.

So how can Europe strengthen the democratic foundations and ensure stability over the long haul?

The best way would be a common European constitution that clearly establishes the framework for democracy, rule of law and civil rights.
There are several non-governmental organisation's in Europe that actively promotes the debate on a European constitution and which has led to several proposals and drafts on a constitution.

It is clear that the fundamental democratic principles must be ensured for all Europeans and that foundation must be built together. This is the biggest and most important issue to debate before upcoming elections. Who is afraid of more and better democracy?

The EU wants nothing by itself and does nothing by itself

For those of you who don`t know, the EU does not have its own will! The European union that we all are citizens in consists of several institutions that our national politicians fill with content and of various intergovernmental agreements between Member States. To one of these institutions the citizens directly elect the members, in the other institutions the members are indirectly elected by our national governments.

The conclusion of this is that the EU wants nothing for itself and does nothing by itself and can`t therefore be the object of criticism when it comes to the policy implemented within the union.
The fact that EU is the scapegoat for national politicians and their failed politics is a threat to democracy itself and not only to the union. It keeps voters from debating the real issues that we desperately need to debate and keeps voters focused on the institutions instead of the politics.

Federalism is about securing democracy and diversity in Europe.

"Federalism means sharing of sovereignty and dividing power and competences. Federalism means no monopoly of power, no unique power center, but a number of power centers. Hence, federalism means democracy." - Herbert Tombeur

Most Europeans needs to be informed and educated on the essence of federalism before they can fully take part in the debate about European future, because the debate is largely about federalizing the union or dismantling the union. Sadly, sceptics still compere a federal Europe to a imperialistic super state. Nothing could be further from the truth but it works well for them and will do so until federalist manege to reach out to the masses and educate. 

Thanks to internet and social media the possibilities are greater then ever. Federalists have a unique opportunity to get the message out all over Europe and this in times when the future of Europe more then ever is open for the people to build there own future. 

Federalism is about securing democracy and diversity in Europe. 

Democracy can give confidence back to the people.

The European Union is not a western project, the eastern states have just as a big role in the building of the European house. All the people of Europe share the same struggle for democracy, safety and economic development, then and now!

The freedom that was won by the people in the eastern states during the late eighties and early nineties gave the union a much needed injection of development and enlargement.

The current economic, social, political and democratic crisis could do the same for the union.
The European Union needs a new injection of democracy in all "levels" of government from the north to the south to the heart of Brussels.

Democracy is the way forward for Europe and only more democracy can give confidence back to the people.      

Euromaidan

EuroMaidan is a great and a very needed inspiration to all Europeans and to our everlasting struggle for unity and democracy in Europe. We stand together in our struggle to always better Europe and against all attempts to weaken the people, our unity and our democracy. Thank you!

European identity

European identity is just as real and authentic as any local or regional identity in Europe.

" United in Diversity" sums it up pretty well, but I'll try to describe, according to me what is our European identity.

It's hard to find a place on earth where all or even a majority's of the people share a general identity. I think you must search in isolated tribes of indigenous people to even come close.

In most democratic parts of the world, just like in Europe, countless identities coexist with each other, locally, nationally and in larger unity's. They are cultural, political, religious and even academic identity's. Its not always without conflict but still in coexistence and with different levels of integration among themselves.

The European identity is found in and around us. Not least culturally where local and regional identity's are clear and strong on there own but just as clearly intertwined with other local and regional identities. It is equally evident in the political struggles that's been played out in Europe, where we currently, without taking something for granted can say that democracy and freedom have taken the longest straw across the continent. I don't stick my neck out by saying that no fight, no struggle and no victory for democracy has happened separately from others in Europe.

Europe has been the centre of two world wars, the Cold War and that's only in the last 100 years. Europe is also the place where the industrial revolution took off and changed conditions drastically. Religion had its borderless fights for century's. In all this, Europeans has for more than 1000 years intertwined in social, cultural and economic enterprises that shaped and developed Europe.

Many women and men from all over Europe have fought and sacrificed there life and limb for liberty and peace so that Europe would achieve what Europe is today.

It is not possible to hide from our European heritage and identity, just as we cant forget the traditions of the community that we where born in. If we do, we do nothing but lie to ourself and our children.

The year of citicens

2013, the year of citicens draws to a end and it would be fitting to make a short evaluation.

YOC was initiated by the Union as a means to get closer to the people or perhaps the citizens closer to the Union.

What's the result? 

The first question should be if the majority of the citizens are familiar with the YOC and its purpose.
The second question, if it brought them closer to the Union.

Something that must be raised as a very good example in this evaluation is the vice presidents citizenship dialog. It is unprecedented in European and national politics that a leader of this magnitude are meeting with citicens for a open dialog in this way.
The dialogue, however, would have made a greater impact with better media coverage and a greater commitment and support from national governments.

On the negative YOC just confirmed  that European institutions is a extension of national governments and therefore lacks the ability to single-handedly push for closer ties to the citizens.

My conclusion is therefore that Europe needs independent democratic institutions acting within a given mandate independent of national governments. This means that national representation to the union must be independent from national governments. (more on this later)

YOC was without a doubt a great attempt by EU institutions to narrow the gap to its citicens but without the right tools to properly succeed.

Training in EU democracy

A Swedish school class of 17 year olds along with 440 other students from Europe won a trip to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The purpose of the trip was to learn about Parliament's work and function.
Students tried out for a day what it's like to be a parliamentarian. They got in mixed groups to submit proposals which they then voted on.
Some issues that were voted on and passed was that Europe would form a federation, that Europe would adopt a common school system and that all exemptions should be abolished.

This is a prime example of training in European democracy. All students may not be able to go to the European Parliament but the idea can be implemented in any school, anywhere in Europe.

A common European school system is probably some distance away but to introduce a European 'democracy' day in all European schools each year for this kind of training would be fully realistic and vary useful.