Europe is reinventing itself

A new European era is about to begin. Since the Second World War, the development of our free, prosperous and peaceful Europe has been guaranteed by the United States. That is now over. While Russia is waging war against the European peace order, the American government is attacking the European order of values. We can hope that the USA will return to an alliance of values with Europe. But we must act on the assumption that this will not be the case.

This path will not be easy, but we can master it together. Europe has everything it needs to assert itself in this world. And Europe is not alone. The EU is the second largest economy in the world, with 450 million inhabitants, the second most important currency in the world and great social and cultural appeal. With this strength, the EU guarantees the independence of its Member States. In these times, this should also give countries such as Hungary and Slovakia pause for thought. They need to ask themselves whether they want to be part of a rules-based community as equal partners or whether they want to be dominated by Russia or ripped off by Washington.

The same applies to the vast majority of countries worldwide with which Europe can now enter into reliable partnerships - on an equal footing instead of using blackmail methods. The USA, Russia and China may play politics as a zero-sum game, but there is still a global majority in favour of partnerships and reliable cooperation. Voluntary agreements between states move both sides forward, be it climate agreements, research cooperation or security partnerships. The 20th century is a success story of precisely this principle. That is why we in Europe live together as independent states in peace, freedom and prosperity. It is worth standing up for this with confidence.

The basis for this is military, economic and political strength. We need a much more robust defence policy, especially with regard to Ukraine. Because Ukraine is the front line for the defence of Europe's freedom and independence. We also need a new impetus for growth and innovation to strengthen our economy. And we need courageous political leadership that balances interests in Europe and builds and consolidates partnerships worldwide.

We in Germany play the most important role in this. We are the strongest country in the EU and have a decisive influence on the success of Europe and therefore on our own fate. The financial scope for this is currently being created, and that is a good thing. Because if we are not prepared to invest in the future of our children now, we are jeopardising the foundations of their future in freedom and peace.

However, money alone will not be enough. It is also about whether we will succeed in creating a new societal momentum and a comprehensive push towards modernisation and innovation. We are a country and a continent of poets and thinkers. We can only be successful through creativity and innovation. Let us ensure that the brightest minds and all people who really want to make a difference see their future in Europe and not in a totalitarian China or an unstable America.

We can counter the isolationism of the world's nationalists with a Europe that is ‘open for business’. We can be the innovative and cultural magnet of the world. Because that is the strength of democratic and open societies.

For this to succeed, we need the courage to change and the will to work hard for it. Just as we as a society have to say goodbye to many certainties, the democratic parties should also rethink old reflexes. The CDU/CSU, for example, could accept that migration is not primarily a threat, but a prerequisite for us to be able to maintain our position as a centre of innovation and industry.

The SPD could develop a more open ear for the concerns of our eastern neighbours and for the fact that the state is not the answer to all problems. The Left Party could say goodbye to security policy illusions as well as old anti-European impulses. And the Greens could focus more on the opportunities of some technological innovations than on their risks. Now is the opportunity to adapt our political discourse to the new realities.

Last but not least, we now need an intensive societal dialogue about what defines us as a community of values and what each and every one of us can contribute to defending and shaping our common future. As citizens, we are neither consumers of state action nor helpless objects of the history being written. We are free people who can use our ideas and our energy to help make Germany and Europe the place of the future, in our profession, in our neighbourhood, in our community. A year of social service for young people could be a possible contribution to this new era and the greater facilitation and involvement of volunteer actions of all parts of society. After all, social cohesion is our most important currency, especially when things get difficult.

We are all co-creators of this new era. And if we are successful, we can one day look back on it as the birth of a new Europe.

This article was first published in German on taz.de.