Coexistence in Europe teaches lesson of unity

PROF. DR. BAMIR TOPI Chairman of the New Democratic Spirit Party

A few days ago, 27 European Union member countries commemorated the 60th anniversary of EU’s founding pact and resigned the Treaties of Rome that reconfirmed the willingness to engage in more challenges that EU has today and would confront in the future. There are 70 years of peaceful coexistence between European citizens in old continent, so much troubled and destroyed by wars.

Peace! Democracy! Solidarity! There are three simple words that are returned in three symbols of United Europe, for which, thousands and millions of people in decades have worked hard and without cease. The European dream was to construct a common trade, but overall, to construct democratic institutions to guarantee the right; to increase the capacity of political integration of European states; to defense the freedom; to consolidate the democracy; to promote the economic and social development; to strengthen the solidarity between European citizens; to improve the life conditions and to make Europe more and more dignified for all people regardless of nationality, ethnicity or religion.

Political leaders, politicologist, leading economist, civil rights fighters have said that over time and in a progressive way  the Europe of people is substituted with the Europe of technocrat, where the institutions of Europe and member countries are gradually folded towards a neoliberal vision, by embracing the benefits that globalization brings, without being able to finish the vision of rights. This unforeseen and not expected change has set the European institutions in a big dilemma for the future of the Union; for the need of change and growth of leadership capacities to resolve the biggest problems that today confront the Union since its creation. Economic crisis that damage for years some European countries; the growth of terrorism but still without adequate response; the xenophobia displayed in such a worryingly way from some European Union member countries; massive deportations and the construction of walls with barbed wires to prohibit migrants that have departed from the war to enter Europe; the chronic financial problem with Greece; the tense situation and still no  solution in Ukraine; the Brexit and its impact on the future of the Union; the geopolitical situation and the reactivation of nationalists in the troubled Balkan; the tense relations with Turkey; are the most visible problems that today preoccupy the Union and demand its commitment for concrete solutions.

Recently it was spoken for the so-called two-speed Europe, which created not little concerns for some areas of state such as egoism in some countries. Between the right nationalism in growth and the tense logic of neoliberalism and neopopulism is created a fog in perspective of the reorganized of the Union. The situation is pending, without perspective, but without diminishing aspirations and efforts to stay united and to work together to force and to grow the Union.

Albania and it society have decided to stay between aspired countries and have more need for Europeanism, adapting policy and reforms to integrate in a short and fast time in the European family. Us Albanians believe in a solid, liberal, equal, peaceful and real democratic Europe, although we see some returns in statism and nationalism. We know the negative effects of them from the lessons of common history and if those do not stop on time, the consequences of them will be more difficult being eliminated in the future.

With the Third Balkan War still fresh in our memories, with its unhealed wounds and with damages not recovered yet, we see the Balkan to continue to be between the decider for stability and real instability. Still today, this region has a need for more special attention and concrete help to resolve the problems reactivated again in Balkan, as the last situation in Macedonia. With all EU’ commitment the problem between ethnics are not resolved in the Balkan, the relations and the reports between Kosovo and Serbia are tense and with significant irritation. Kosovo, the younger state in Europe created and with the help of the European community is still unjustly an isolated island in the heart of modern Europe because the citizens of Kosovo could move freely. At the same time, five European Union member countries still are against the independence of Kosovo.

Europe will be more complete, more secure and more democratic with the Balkans integrated in EU. A lot of things will stay in the hands of the Balkans politics to be more European, but required cohesion for intensive cooperation that will expand the area of security and of trade in the Europe of the future. But, which will be the role of EU in new and global challenges? Will Union protect the community of independent states and to consolidate more its position in a global society more and more, where the political and financial centers grow and the world is shaped more every day?

I believe that 70 years of peaceful history, the interaction and coexistence in Europe taught the indispensability of being united, to work together, to defend the freedom, the peace, the democracy and the prosperity.