European Union: from solution to problem

Half a century ago it was a very common aspiration among the Spanish, democracy and belonging to the European Union. With the political transition we brilliantly resolved the first wish and immediately – as a consequence – the second.

Some decades later, two significant regions of Spain They are running away from both conquests: denying liberal democracy to opt for its totalitarian antithesis, while wanting to flee Spain they would also –obviously– flee the EU, to be two impossible pariah microstates. Strong social-nationalist ideologies have developed there, whose political direction is a return to the mythical tribes of their very primitive past. Along the way they are giving up speaking the second most communicative language in the world, to reduce themselves to tribal languages ​​whose social reach would necessarily be limited and therefore isolating.

Fortunately, a large majority of Spaniards are still at the antipodes of these primitive behaviors and trust in the cosmopolitanism that has provided us with so many successes. However, the European Union, that great goal of contemporary Spain, is ceasing to be what it should be to progressively slide towards destinies between problematic and decadent; It is ceasing to be a solution to become, more and more, a problem.

The economic, political and monetary integration of Europe had a historical scope of extraordinary importance. After the two wars that ravaged Europe in the first half of the last century, with the terrible consequences of loss of human life and material damage, the mere fact that such recurring misfortunes cannot happen again is by itself enough to that we congratulate ourselves on all that we have achieved. Western European peace, unlike the Eastern one, was based on individual freedom as the reason for being European.

Despite the evident success of the European integration processes, what has been achieved is still imperfect and clearly could be improved. In addition to peace in freedom, the main purpose of the European Union was and continues to be the improvement of economic and social prosperity, which has not been fully realized due to a serious, that is to say structural, crisis of competitiveness that has come to question the possibility of sustainable growth of the economy and employment in the long term.

The gap between the per capita income of the US and the EU has not stopped widening, while the US technological leadership has dwarfed us to increasingly worrying extremes

Despite the evident success of the European integration processes, what has been achieved is still imperfect and clearly could be improved. In addition to peace in freedom, the main purpose of the European Union was and continues to be the improvement of economic and social prosperity, which has not been fully realized due to a serious, that is to say, structural, competitiveness crisis that has come to question the possibility of sustainable growth of the economy and employment in the long term. In the last half century, the gap between the per capita income of the US and the EU has not stopped widening, while the US technological leadership has dwarfed us to increasingly worrying extremes.

With the excuse of enlarging itself, the EU has not only not deepened its supposed single market, but has given rise to the only reasons -which are still insufficient- were the most serious and reasonable ones that inspired the Brexit. This year will be a decade since the speech of the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, prior to the fatal occurrence of the Brexit referendum: “The main objective of the EU is to achieve maximum prosperity, through the creation of wealth and employment The EU must overcome its competitiveness crisis by completing the single market, eliminating obstacles, especially to SMEs, which should be exempt from European directives.The Commission, which does not stop growing, must reduce its size, at the same time that it must render accounts for democratic accountability. EU regulations and directives must stop meddling in domestic life.”

What has been said so far can be summarized in the two factors that are moving us further and further away from technological leadership and the economic prosperity of the United States: we are still very far from enjoying a true single market -due to the nationalist trappings of the major nations- and the innovationwhich determines the competitiveness and consequently the wealth of nations, is bureaucratically persecuted from Brussels.

A large part of the welfare state that we enjoy is financed with debt that future generations will have to pay

The EU, as he reminded us some time ago merkel, with only 7% of the world’s population, holds 25% of GDP while carrying out 50% of social spending. It is materially impossible, involved, as we are in an open and global economy that has made possible the greatest growth in world wealth in history, that such a “welfare state” can be maintained, let alone increase it if the European economy does not become more dynamic, it is In other words, it improves its competitiveness with respect to the rest of the world, which continues to compete better and better. Let’s not forget that a large part of the welfare state that we enjoy is financed with debt that future generations will have to pay.

European countries should not and cannot compete on production costs with emerging economies; our challenge is to successfully emulate the US, a great country capable of continuing to grow – in GDP, population and per capita income – while persistently dominating technological changes and enjoys an enviable institutional quality that guarantees the virtuous circle of wealth creation through technological innovation.

It is evident that the EU has expanded faster than deepened in its true union, while it has been losing competitiveness and questioning, therefore, its Welfare State, while it has abandoned its defense responsibilities along the way. Europe is much closer, geographically, politically and economically, to the most serious security and defense risks that threaten the world today than the US, to whose resources and policies we have tacitly and irresponsibly delegated our responsibility as if it were not with We.

the war of Ukraine it has come to remind us, in all its crudeness, the smallness of the EU’s defense policy; Thus, when a very responsible commissioner, Borrell made an obvious step forward in the face of serious challenge, he has found himself increasingly rebuffed. The EU, without sufficient means of defense, lacks a policy in this regard; because the lack of them necessarily determines inaction.

Without a homogeneous European market, innovation –the lever for sustainable growth in the long term- will not be able to unfold its full potential, nor will we be able to retain, attract and develop talent –inseparable with the new digital economy– if the institutional frameworks are not favourable.

The EU needs to rapidly and seriously deepen its internal market, eliminate regulations that limit the competitiveness of its companies, dispense with costly spending programs -agricultural budget, for example- that benefit minorities to the detriment of the majority and make life easier for their companies with the least possible restrictions -the labor framework is decisive- so that they can compete successfully in a global economy.

The democratization of our country unified all public opinion -regardless of their political creeds- and consequently almost all political forces, at least until now.

Since both the democratic legitimacy of many European decisions that affect the countries integrated into their institutions and the interventionism of their ‘ordinances’ are debatable, for a country like Spain, which, whether we like it or not, is very prone to political excesses, membership The EU anchors us in an institutional space that guarantees performance free from political derailments.

From the Spanish point of view, European integration –despite all that has been said– also contributes another even more positive factor: as a consequence of our political isolation that initially made it impossible for us to join the new community institutions, the democratization of our country unified all public opinion –regardless of their political creeds- and consequently almost all political forces –at least up to now– in favor of integration in all European instances. In fact, it is difficult to find in the Spanish political panorama of the last half century something that unifies more to the Spanish public opinion than European integration.

Faced with the identity crisis of the EU, the Spain of tomorrow -that of the current government is impossible- can and must play a leading role trying to lead together with Germany, France and perhaps Italy, the reformist approaches that lay the foundations for a truer, more competitive and solvent union in which the new generations can feel integrated and proud.

It is about the EU ceasing to be a problem, so that it returns to being a solution to our institutional and economic limitations; what we need