‘The public, shared moral heart of Europe was never allowed to beat and the inevitable has happened: the patient is struggling for life.’
Donald Reeves recently attended the Compas workshop where their final report ‘Building a Good Europe‘ was released and discussed in a series of workshops.
Recent events throughout the EU, particularly austerity and the solidarity crisis, have thrown its purpose in the 21st century into question and exposed democratic and institutional failures.
The mainstream debate around the EU referendum is unimaginative and full of fear. Compass’ Good Europe project, in partnership with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) London, takes the opportunity to have a more positive and creative discussion about the Europe we really want.
The report explores the questions:
· What is the purpose of the EU in the 21st century?
· What policies do we need for Europe to achieve its purpose?
· How do we make it happen?
‘Europe is not just a place, it’s a story we tell each other. By nature it’s a cultural construct and this will shape its evolution. A Good Europe will be a continent-wide expression of what it means to be human in the 21st century. It will be relational, not transactional. Solidarity will transcend borders as we work together to bring about a better world that is underpinned by the original intentions behind the EU (peace, human rights and equality) but more fair, green and democratic, where security and freedom will go hand in hand.’ Read on.
The bankers and the bureaucrats have defined the terms of the debate for too long – now it’s our turn. Please do read the report and share it widely.
You can download the full report here >>
(Good Europe is not advocating a leave or remain position and does not endorse any campaigns.)
