The unbearable lightness of the European elections
These European Parliament elections are the most important in recent decades. Europe will face very difficult decisions that will determine whether it will come of age geopolitically and economically or not. Whether Donald Trump is elected in the United States or not, the alarm has been ringing for Europe for a long time.
Will Europe become competitive so that it stops losing investment and capital, either to the US or to Asia? Will it begin to jointly produce armaments and gain even a little strategic autonomy? How will it handle the war in Ukraine and its relationship with Moscow? How will it deal with the tsunami of very cheap electric cars and other products from China without being tempted into a trade war by imposing tariffs?
None of this is theoretical. It concerns us all and these decisions cannot wait. They will obviously be taken in each country separately, but the European Parliament has a decisive role to play. It is of great importance who will represent us there. However, the game is not played in official meetings but in corridors and cafes, and with personal relationships that develop into alliances.
However, we don‘t seem to care about any of this – neither the public, nor the media, nor our political leadership. In the public debate, lifestyle attracts everyone – even the general-secretary of the Communist Party now uses English terms and makes campaign jokes. As for the candidates of – unfortunately – all parties, one must search with a magnifying glass to find the few who have the knowledge, experience and willingness to represent us in Europe at a critical moment. Of course, it is worth the trouble to look for these few because without you, without your vote, they have no chance of being elected, having to compete against TV stars and athletes.
Greece has changed its status in the EU and could play a more active role in its next phase of “adulthood.” The country also has a prime minister with a vision and the necessary personal connections to be able to sit at the decision table after the elections. Now what and whose fault it is that the public political discourse is reminiscent of the run-up to the Eurovision song contest and not the European elections, I do not know. Perhaps it’s a sign of the times.
The only thing we can do in the short time left until the elections is to look for candidates, whichever party they belong to, who will be able to represent us properly in Europe.
