Europe defined positively

This is the first draft after innumerable lists of what we do not like of the performance and development of Europe, to draw the structures and criteria of a Europe we would like to have, a Europe “to fall in love” and not of “people turning away”. Europe´s civil society is kindly asked to take part in this initiative of achieving a concurred draft to be broadly distributed in the public (max. two pages). All this is to be understood as a work in progress, originating and developing further in a participatory way. May be the individual person is without a chance to change things, but every one can and should question the developments saying clearly what he or she wants to happen and what Europe should be looking like. All this is meant to encourage the civic society of Europe to raise their voice in this matter. Europe, our common living space and great homeland is a concern of every one and we should tell how we want it to look like and what we like to happen with it. Europe is different, but Europe is Europe, is Europe, is Europe. Europe may be fore seen as sustainable and democratic as desirable, but when its citizens refuse to identify with it, to esteem and to like it, every afford will be vain!

What is the character of a Europe we really can like?

• Europe has a constitution and globally can speak with one voice
• There is a “culture of Europe” above all the many regional cultures
• Subsidiarity is a basic structure of organisation and actions, in a way substituting federalism
• Regions will be improved (empowered?) and gain importance compared to national entities
• The European identity is based on:
• Sustainable economy
• Social competence
• Ecological competence
• Cultural appreciation that is founded in the diversity of the European cultures
• European way of globalisation (European Global Governance, further development of democracy, eminent role of civic society, responsibility towards the “world wide poor”) **Common history in good and bad terms (not denying the deep shadows of our history)
• Humanism, enlightenment, religiousness (as main roots of culture and identity)