The state of the European Union

The State of the Union speech by European Commission president José Manuel Barroso was undoub­tedly the highlight of this week’s plenary session in Strasbourg.

During his speech, Mr Barroso gave a round-up of the situation of the European Union and highlighted the political path the EU will take in the upcoming years. The Lisbon Treaty and EU 2020 featured high on his agenda and this is a clear indication that the Commission intends to implement changes as soon as feasibly possible.

It is undeniable that the world’s worst economic crisis since the 1930s has forced many governments and, to some extent, the Commission itself to de-prioritise long-term issues such as sustainable and inclusive growth and has, unfortunately, reversed all the progress that had been achieved since 2000. This critical economic situation has left Europe with raging unemployment, high levels of debt and minimal economic growth. The recovery process is still too short of the desired levels, nevertheless it seems that, finally, there seems to be a way out of the turmoil.

Adding to the financial problem are other pressing and important issues such as globalisation, climate change and the use of renewable energy. All these matters have to be tackled before things get out of hand and it is only with a collective effort that success can be achieved. Since its inception in the 1950s, this is maybe the biggest challenge the EU is facing and now is the time to prove that this is not just a union of numbers but one united front that has a pre-defined programme and a union of nations that will emerge from this situation in a stronger, more sustainable form.

The goals set in the EU 2020 strategy are ambitious but achievable. Seeing the huge economic leaps that countries like China and the subcontinent of India are making, together with the new emerging economies of South America, it is of utmost importance to address the situation and implement the necessary corrective process to get back on track and continue to be the main player in the world economy. Failing to address our problems properly will result in having to rely heavily on the achievements of others and become followers not leaders.

Employment is probably one of the most pressing problems that Europe is facing right now. The generation of jobs that are productive, socially cohesive and sustainable is top priority. In providing these kinds of places of work, we will be making an important step towards narrowing the social divide that exists in Europe and will be bettering the lives of millions of families throughout the continent. With Europe’s population being an aging one and with new technologies developing every day, we need to have a strong structure that supports the retraining of workers. We need to have a structure that will help those who need to relocate themselves to make a living and a system where one can follow life-learning programmes while still earning a decent salary that will enable him or her to grow economically and in parallel with the rest of the population.

Mr Barroso laid stress on the importance of teamwork in times like these, times where the 27 countries that make up this Union must work to achieve one common goal. This is a challenge that will determine the future not only of Europe as a Union but also of Europe as the centre of excellence. Over the centuries and even as recent as after World War II, Europe managed to rise from the ashes many times, each time building a stronger bond between the old world countries. In working together and implementing the EU 2020 strategy, we would be able to continue growing in a cleaner, stronger and richer continent. There are sacrifices to be made and austerity measures have to be taken in some cases too but the result is a Europe in which those who come after us can enjoy stability and a better way of life.

The author is a Nationalist member of the European Parliament.