A recent article in the Guardian, concerning Anti-European
Movements presents some interesting facts about a growing phenomenon
throughout Europe, which in turn has been steering an increasing and relentless
turn of opinion against the European project, fuelled by populist speeches from
some of the most extremist political parties of Europe. Parties like the UKIP
in the UK, Vlaams-Belang in Belgium or the Front National in France are growing
in numbers and are supported by the most affected citizens of an economic
crisis that shows no real signs of subsiding. This turn of opinion and growing
extremisms needs to be addressed by the EU institutions as a matter of urgency.
The question is why are the EU citizens drifting away of the EU? And
considering the fast approach of the next European Parliament elections, due in
2014, this question needs not only to be answered but also a solution need to
be found in order to prevent the election of the most eurosceptic parliament in
the history of the EU at a time when reform is being discussed.
Many public figures are now expressing
concerns over the faith of the EU if high numbers of eurosceptics manage to be
elected for the next EU parliament, to quote the recent words of Enrico Letta for the Guardian:
'European citizens have to feel they are being represented by Europe.', and referring the rise in popularity of
such political parties as the “most dangerous phenomenon” facing the European
Union. The European Union needs to reform itself in order to cope with a growing
number of countries and an economy in tatters. Trying to achieve any real
results with a eurosceptic majority in the European Parliament will be
impossible. Considering that
the EU is one of the most important economic, social and political projects
ever attempted in the history of Europe is remarkable the disinterest of
Britain’s politicians and media to participate in the debate that is now taking
place between the next generation of Europeans.
The figures from the Eurobarometer
79, published in the spring of 2013, offer some interesting and valuable
insights worth analysing. Published twice a year, this publication is a great
source of information about the perception of EU citizens. This current
environment of economic crisis, political uncertainty and continuous austerity
doesn’t offer much to settle serious questions on what is the ultimate purpose
and aim of the EU and what it will mean to the average EU citizens. Around 37 per cent of citizens don’t consider
themselves citizens of the EU (this is roughly 186 million people of a total
population of 503.7 million in the EU), with some concerning variations at
national level (in the UK this percentage goes all the way to 51 per cent and
Greece reach figures of 56 percent). Compare these figures with the results obtained
from the “Knowledge of rights as a citizen of the EU trend”, were the results
show that 56 per cent of EU citizens don’t know their rights and its noticeable
the relationship between these feeling of detachments of the European project
and the high level of ignorance of the rights that come from that citizenship.
Mirroring both trends at national level it becomes clear a relationship between
the knowledge of EU rights and a feeling of EU citizenship.
The Euro crisis, lingering since 2008, brought to
light some of the fragilities of the European project, were for all matters and
purposes we found ourselves in the middle of the bridge and without the will to
continue towards the ultimate goal of European integration, both economic and
political. The European citizen sees the EU organizations as bureaucratic and
detached of the day to day life of the 507 millions of inhabitants of EU-27.
The observed trend shows an increasing polarization of the public opinion,
confirmed in several surveys and while citizens still favour a coordinated set
of measures at European level to tackle the crisis, the media, riding a wave of
populist and nationalist feelings, as all but helped to transmit an idea of
impotence by the EU institutions, at both political and economic levels in the
way of solving the problems the 2008 crisis brought to light, which in turns
translates in a crisis of confidence of the European institutions.
So what does EU citizenship worth for? When 53 per
cent of the European citizens do not know their rights, and 39 per cent don’t
even want to know, it is fair to say that both this lack of knowledge and
growing disinterest will seriously undermine the support for the European
project by the people this project claim to support. It rests on the EU the
effort to tackle this problem, before it alienates their own citizens. The
information about how the EU works is available to however want to learn about
it but the figures indicate that much more needs to be done by the EU organisms
to inform and educate the citizens. The pro-EU parties in Europe are all but
silent, with fear of alienating voters if they dare to speak their voice in the
defence of the most important project in the European history. The mainstream
media is not interested in anything to do with the EU, unless is negative. This
state of affairs works in favour of the eurosceptic parties with a constant
populist and ill-informed message. It is therefore urgent that efforts are made
to counteract this tendency, under penalty of not only undermine the great
project but ultimately destroy it for the future of the next generation.
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