The European Union is facing a critical moment, as highlighted by André Wilkens and Pawel Zerka in their article. They suggest that Brussels needs to pay attention to the messages being sent by voters in order to avoid the European drama reaching its final act by the next elections in 2029. The authors point out that despite the democratic engagement of 182 million voters in the recent European elections, there are important blind spots that need to be addressed. These include the lack of representation of young voters, lukewarm pro-Europeanism in Central and Eastern Europe, and the EU’s failure to reflect the diversity of its society.
The authors argue that these blind spots point to a major threat to the European project, which is the EU’s emerging drift towards an “ethnic” rather than “civic” understanding of Europeanness. They stress the importance of building channels of participation for all parts of the population, resisting the temptation to play with an ethnic conception of Europeanness, and filling the civic conception with content. By addressing these issues, the EU can recover its capacity to represent its constituent public and avoid further legitimizing xenophobic attitudes in Europe.
It is crucial for European politicians to take action now to address these blind spots and ensure that the European project can thrive. This includes focusing on building channels of participation for all parts of the population, resisting the temptation to play with an ethnic conception of Europeanness, and filling the civic conception with content. By taking these actions, the EU can show that it is a successful force for delivering on important issues such as the economy, security, climate change, and migration. Failure to do so could result in the European drama reaching its final act by the next elections in 2029.
In conclusion, the European Union is facing significant challenges that need to be addressed in order to ensure its continued success. By focusing on building channels of participation, resisting a drift towards an ethnic understanding of Europeanness, and filling the civic conception with content, the EU can overcome these challenges and thrive. It is important for European politicians to take action now in order to avoid the European drama reaching its final act in 2029.
