EU: Balance of a Year as a Nobel Peace Prize

 

 

Last year’s Nobel Peace Prize was an award recognizing European Union’s contribution seeking democracy, human rights and equality among others. The economic meltdown is causing negative effects in these accomplishments. The EU should fight for its total restoration.

 

As it happens every year during this period of time, the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize  was for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. This is then, the second consecutive year that the prize is given to an international organization and not to an individual.

The award given to the European Union last year was controversial. It was both supported and criticized. Now, it is worthwhile doing a balance of a Nobel Peace Prize year award.

Welfare State, the major European milestone is being shaked by this critical economic situation. Countries such as Holland is seeking new substitutes like the recently announced “participating society” and the Spanish co-payment health system has become a reality.

 

On the other hand, Eurozone crisis advances the idea in the North of a two- speed Europe; unemployment is reaching frightening figures, middle classes are disappearing and unequality is growing rampant, not to mention the rise of populism, extremism, nationalism and violence in countries particularly affected by the economic crash such as Greece.

Portugal, “the good student” is not getting off despite the tough austerity measures imposed by the Troika. Portuguese population is falling into a poverty cycle from which they will not get out if austerity persists and growth is not generated. The same happens in other southern European countries and to a lesser extent in France.

All of this make us wonder whether the current leaders are truly capable in meeting the challenge of overcoming the crisis and to take urgent growth measures needed by the population to have a normal life.

The European Union also needs to confront the immigration drama. Frontex's budget is being cut and the fact that Arab revolt countries such as Libya are currently under undercontrolled immigration, causes tragedies such as recent Lampedusa in Italy.

Urgent steps are needed to avoid it. External borders must strength its control and asylum and refugee policies should be unified. European leaders really need to encourage agreements with Third Countries such as the EU- Morocco Migration Agreement signed on June 2013.

It should be fair to be aware of the contribution of the European Union for the peace since it was created with only six Member State through the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952. In that moment, Europe was curing a hangover. The continent was morally broken and economically destroyed after living the most cruel of human history wars. The Second World War made Europe reach its peek. Centuries of conflicts, wars and fights for power were on its back. Therefore, in 1952 Germany and France reconciled themselves and decided to get economically associated to seek peace.  This was a turning point and thanks to that Community and the subsequent Treaties a Union that upholded the respect for democracy, rule of law as its main concerns was being created.

Now all of this which was hardly put into practice by leaders such as Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman is in serious jeopardy.

European Dream is fading and we should not rest on our laurels now. We need encouraged leaders like those of the fifties. Leaders who are capable to motivate citizens and create incentives and aids to alleviate the catastrophic effects of this economic crash. Thus, the Nobel Peace Prize will be an acknowledgement that lasts over time and won't only be a past merit award.