Manifest for Europe
27 th March 2018
Written by: Felix Unger, Eva Feldmann, Klaus Mainzer, Wolfgang Schmale, Werner
Weidenfeld
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Initial Situation
1. Europe in need
Politics degenerates into the staging of power games without a recognizable
strategy. This is far from the great task of designing public space out of
convincing ideas, rationally implementing co-responsibility as a citizen and as
its representatives. The election results acknowledge these oddities. Regarding
the traditional parties, they prove the respective leadership dilemma as well as
the loss of authority. The conventional parties are losing their approval and at
the same time voters' frustration is linking elsewhere. The political set up just
keeps going as if nothing had happened. Legitimation crisis describes best the
crippling mildew that has spread over Europe. The dream of embarking into a
new historical era looks different.
Politics is facing the major historical challenges - from the current mass
migration, which may lead to a new migration period, through the terrorist threat
to the current landscape of global political risks - either with perplexity or
situational crisis management. The longing of citizens for strategic prospects
remains unanswered. Politicians say goodbye to the cultural horizon. The
political elite remains speechless.
A society without orientation is a society in need.
In essence, the process is tangible: Every person and every society must
constantly filter and sort out the almost infinite number of incoming information.
This is especially true in times of dramatic increase in complexity. One thinks of
globalization and digitization, of technological progress and demographic
change - the demand for regularity is immense. History and politics usually
provide orientation that places the individual data in understandable contexts.
In times of the East-West conflict, this global political order of worldwide
antagonism was a major source of orientation. As this era of a global political
architecture collapsed, this demand for orientation was more directly and
massively addressed towards domestic producers. Since then, the political
artistry is mostly dealing with challenges of political attention solely with
technical finesse.
The premodernity has established its identity through relatively simple,
manageable ways of life, through closed world views, through a stable milieu,
through a public consensus about the everyday significance of man's
transcendence reference. In the modern age, these cultural conditions no longer
exist: Growing complexity of social organizations, pluralization, but also
instability through liquefaction of the worlds of life, anonymity of social
regulations, mobility and increasing speed of decay of historical experiences,
devaluation of traditional loyalties. In this context, the sociology of knowledge
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quite vividly speaks of the suffering of modern man in a constantly deepening
state of homelessness.
If we realize today's political failings in that dramatic way, then we must keep in
mind an existential fact: In the political meaning of our lives, we are not box-
office owners who are bored and relaxed following the salvation drama on
stage. No - we are participants, co-responsible, we are contributors. And we
must take that very seriously. Otherwise, we will not succeed in freeing
ourselves from the misery of the state and society. There is no political
discourse in the public domain. A narrative is totally missing, even though the
narrative allows to find new ways.
2. Innovation ability
Innovation space Europe
In the worldwide competition of global markets, Europe depends on the
innovation dynamics of its people. Innovation requires creativity, which is
increasingly concentrated in interdisciplinary research clusters. Energy
networks, material science, information technology, environment, climate
change, robotics, life science, data science, medicine and health, cultural
studies, identity research, migration, just to name a few, are problem-oriented
research areas which connect interdisciplinary disciplines, transcend beyond
traditional subject boundaries and grow together in new research clusters.
Problem-oriented research aims to get to designing new products and new skills
from basic and applied research.
Europe must therefore set the framework conditions and incentives for
innovation centres in which research and development of universities and
colleges cooperate with companies and public institutions. Innovation thus
becomes a crucial factor in securing future markets and the quality of life of a
society. However, innovation is not only determined by technical and economic
factors, but must also take social, cultural and ecological aspects into account
from the outset. They become factors of sustainable innovation. Only
sustainable innovation secures the future viability of a society.
The increasing complexity of infrastructure tasks today is so vast that we cannot
cope without the support of digitization and intelligent algorithms. Examples are
mobility (autonomous driving), smart cities, energy systems, industry and
employment (industry 4.0). At the same time, algorithms and big data are
changing not only science and technology but also economics and society in an
alarming way. The influence of globally operating companies and major powers
shows in their influence over data and algorithms! Europe must prove to be a
strong innovation space for digitization and artificial intelligence to compete
globally with the USA and China for example.
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In Europe, however, not only did science and technology emerge, which in the
age of globalization led to global innovation dynamics. Europe has also created
a unique cultural space based on democracy and human rights. This spirit of
the European cultural area must be combined with the dynamism of Europe as
an innovation space to remain an attractive living environment in the future.
Specifically, the working and living space will change dramatically under the
influence of artificial intelligence and big data. Europe must therefore create the
framework conditions for education and training systems so that in the age of
digitization job opportunities and zest for life for young people are opened and
promoted in Europe. But in the end, Europe must also ensure the ethical and
legal framework conditions (e.g. privacy, cybersecurity) to shape these future
technologies in such a way that freedom, human rights and democracy are
safeguarded as Europe's trademarks.
3. The Europe of young people
Strengthen Europe
Many factors prevent young people from committing themselves to the
European Union. These include the enormous levels of youth unemployment in
many southern EU countries. Young people hardly see a professional - and as
a result, no private - perspective. This stops them from being interested in
transnational problems and issues at the European level. The younger
generation often feels "not understood" and "ignored by politics". This applies
to a Europe, which seems very far removed from the reality of life of young
people. In addition, in many places in the EU there is a lack of possibilities for
economic participation in clear offers for political and social involvement for
young people. Only two members of the EU Parliament are currently under 30
years of age. Particularly in view of the demographic change and the resulting
colossal challenges facing the young generation of Europe, the inclusion of
young people in European decision-making bodies and processes in the sense
of democratization and a fair coexistence of ages is indispensable. Important
for a young Europe of the future is a clear commitment to freedom as well as a
practice of solidarity and sustainability. Ultimately, it is both Europe's
responsibility and interest to effectively integrate the existing human capital of
the younger generation in order to remain competitive in a global context
through innovation and young ideas.
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4. Confidence in freedom
Every innovative development happens in freedom, which you must trust. There
are enough restrictive criteria, the entire regulatory rage, laws still and bad,
details of behaviour down to the smallest vitality, so that every freedom of the
individual is stifled. Today's cancer is called regulatory administration.
Digitization, with its increasing form, also contains elements that restrict freedom
and allow a total control of people. While this brings efficiency everywhere, there
is a danger of political destabilization due to people's displeasure.
One can say that subsidiarity is essential at all levels, because in everyday life,
one can better assess and appreciate things. Here again a facet of freedom
emerges, that the regions and municipalities develop themselves further, but
subsidiary in harmonization with the entire line of own responsibility and in the
context of the competition of the powers of the markets.
Any development in all its facets thrives only in freedom, at a freedom
guaranteed in confidence, which is not restricted.
Due to a good material foundation and a spiritual condition, the development of
the whole of Europe can be carried on in freedom, where art, sciences and
religions play a big part and are also the subject of narrative, talking and
developing ideas. The narrative falters. The tensions between East and South,
North and West can only be overcome by an intense narrative, that is, to
overcome the unnecessary differences if they are ideologically substantiated.
The narrative makes you free, laws constrict you.
What to do?
1. Development of a strategy to overcome political stagnation.
Politics must always relate to the citizens of Europe; hence the narrative of what
citizens think.
It is about a clear governance of Europe and a strategy with the neighbours,
such as Russia, China and the USA, a positioning as a global player. A reform
of the European Council is needed to make clear, essential decisions. It's about
mastering a language for security, migration, finance and development.
Europe must develop future perspectives, clarify its legitimacy, provide
transparency and identify a clear management structure.
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2. Innovation
Innovation and research can and should be done by everyone, not only at the
university level but also by non-university companies. All this contributes to an
innovative power to develop a market for 2050 that is necessary for all. A big topic
of the future lies in the digitization with all its facets, up to the artificial intelligence
and robotics, also the human being.
3. Young Europe
The young Europe is the basis of the wider Europe. Here it is necessary to take the
concern and their roots of all seriously. Further, the youth must be included in the
political discussion. In the young generation lies the power of innovation.
Youth strategy means greater involvement of the younger ones. Legislative periods
of representatives should also be shortened to foster a better flow of opinions.
4. Europe of the elderly
The increasing shift of democracy shows a significant aging of our European
population. This creates recent problems in the care of the elderly. It is important
to emphasize here that people are in good health to age mentally or physically. The
treasure of their experience must not be lost, and this must be increasingly
considered. Here, the dialogue between the elderly and the younger should be
deepened.
5. Confidence in freedom
This is about to further build Europe in freedom and seeing all its cultural
achievements in a tense continent. Europe now has a diversity that is to be
welcomed and that is the very charm of the European profile. Working towards a
goal, like 2050.
We live mentally in a tight space, but this one must be designed in such a way that
each regional space contributes to the overall cultural performance. But this is only
possible if the freedom of development is given and the people who develop can
assure themselves of the confidence in freedom.
Europe must not play the role of Greece in the Roman Empire. We cannot become
a museum.
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What is important:
Europe must remain a living place of the future. Today, the 30-year-olds are already
working to shape Europe. Since the founding fathers, Europe has reached a dead end
due to a complicated administration. Therefore "Next Europe" - for the "Next
Generation".
1. The democratic principle applies everywhere. Strengthen and consider the
NGOs. Transparency for the European citizen.
2. Real legitimacy of Europe. In the election of the European Parliament, pan-
European parties must enter as candidates, which gives Parliament genuine
democratic legitimacy as a legislature, in the interplay between the majority
and the opposition.
Freedom means co-responsibility.
This means increasing transparency and not just effective crisis management, but also
developing a strategy based on a narrative.