The European Union (EU) has expanded quickly over the last decade, with its latest enlargement welcoming Bulgaria and Romania in 2007. The EU’s enlargement process however, is not as straightforward as it would appear nor does it come easy. For example, the UK’s accession was a cause of intense debate for years and Turkey’s membership application still causes major disagreement to the present day. Likewise, many in Western Europe were or are of opinion that Europe’s Eastern enlargement came way too soon and many of the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) were not ready to be embraced by the European family. Arguments range from factual data – “their economies are not strong enough yet”; to procedural disputes – “they don’t meet the formal requirements”; to more culturally determined reasons – “they are not European enough”. It is on this latter argument that I wish to focus on in this article.
As I have argued in previous contributions, Europe is about more than just money and single market issues. It is also about uniting a historically divided continent and ensuring peace and prosperity for its citizens. It is about putting Europe on the world map once more, not as individual states but as a united group of countries sharing both means and ends. On top of economic qualities, there are also some relativist cultural aspects to the enlargement process. But then what is “being European”?
To me personally it is the sharing of common values, based on humanism and an intellectual renaissance that ensures our fundamental freedoms and rights. On top of that, if we want this project of integration to withstand the test of time, the broad population must feel European; they must too hold a sense of connectedness with the other people(s) of Europe.
For many European nations, participating in the European integration project meant a return to normalcy; it meant being accepted once again as a “decent” country that upholds fundamental rights for its persons. This was the case in southern Europe as well as for many CEECs: becoming a member state of the EU meant breaking from an authoritarian past. Yet it pains me to witness recent developments, such as those in Bulgaria or Romania and the general lack of common “Europeanness” amongst the EU’s member states. Without wanting to go deeper into the debate about where Europe ends or which country is European and which is not, we must however, admit that “being European” is an important condition for membership and should even be promoted post-accession.
Yet what are we seeing? In Romania a doubtful Prime Minister is suppressing the rule of law and Bulgaria is suffering from high-level corruption and organised crime, oppressing democratic legitimacy. All over Europe, populist and even extremist parties are on the rise and the EU’s democratic deficit is bigger than ever. And what does the EU do? Well, as much as it systemically can. But we haven’t given them much power to actually do anything about it. Individual states are keen to point the finger but cannot stand a watchdog on our own turf.
This shows us that not only do we face a decline in European spirit but we are also neglecting our accomplishments of the past half-century. So what does it still mean to be a member of the EU? What does it mean to take part in a project that explicitly promotes fundamental rights but isn’t always able to uphold them? Where are our grand European values? Oh yes, they are written down and enshrined in the European treaties; correct. We must follow them, we are legally bound to do so. The treaties say so. We all signed them. That’s great. Yeah.
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