It is time for Europe to stand on its own two feet

It has been forty years since Spain joined what was then the European Economic Community, which marked a turning point for our country as it became a full member of the international geopolitical arena. The Association of European Journalists (APE) wanted to coincide this anniversary with the celebration of its 37th Seminar on Europe, a forum in which the state of the European Union is reviewed in depth. 

In addition to evoking and recalling the many vicissitudes and anecdotes that surrounded a very long and arduous negotiation, the diagnosis that permeated the different sessions of the seminar was that Europe has already realised that it is ‘increasingly alone in defending its model of society’, now that US President Donald Trump has decided to end, although the deadline has not yet been determined, the substitute security and defence missions in Europe. So much so that ‘we have gone from strategic autonomy to tactical submission’, in the words of diplomat Fidel Sendagorta, making clear reference to the humiliation Donald Trump subjected Ursula von der Leyen to at his golf course in Scotland.

Josep Borrell's collaborator, the former head of European diplomacy, Joan Llorach, also from Catalonia, was particularly critical. He analysed the critical points that are preventing or slowing down the progress of European integration, among which he highlighted the rise of populism, which he divides into left-wing, right-wing and rich regions.

While the general title of the seminar was: A Union that Adds Value and Conditioning Neighbourhoods, there was consensus that Russia is showing, with increasing clarity, its determination to become the great threat to Europe, which it is currently testing through air incursions and provocative actions to see how far it can go without a sufficiently forceful response to deter it.

Two factors were highlighted as decisive in addressing the current challenges. The first is competitiveness, especially since globalisation has turned trade flows into intense currents of offers that were unthinkable not so many years ago. However, there was disagreement on whether it is essential to “bend over backwards” in order to be competitive, in the sense of slimming down the welfare state as much as possible to make European products and services cheaper in the face of competition from countries where workers' rights and the general welfare of citizens are far from European standards.

Miguel Ángel Aguilar, secretary general of the APE, argued that the European model of society, which has always been so envied, can be contrasted with the Asian model or others that may emerge. In this regard, speakers such as Boleslaw Wozniak from Poland and Javier Solana from Spain advocated emphasising innovation, one of the areas in which the European Union has lost its once undisputed leadership.

The other fundamental factor, in the eyes of many of the speakers and participants in the seminar, was the stagnation of the single market. While its entry into force in 1993 was the cornerstone of European prosperity, the truth is that, more than thirty years later, this long-awaited single market has not been fully implemented, nor have all the obstacles that hinder it been removed. On the contrary, in some European countries and regions, identity issues – such as the obligation to label in Catalan – take precedence over measures to facilitate the free movement of goods and services. 

In any case, while pessimism hung over some of the sessions, especially due to the blatant Russian threat and the ups and downs and changes of opinion of the US president, optimism prevailed in the conclusions, if only because our natural space for development and potential is anchored in Europe, not only for the continent's major powers but also for all the countries that make it up and contribute to strengthening its existence.