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by Aileen Körfer, UNI Europa Policy Officer for Services Policy

‘Do I regret my decision to have studied European politics?’ This question has dominated my thoughts for some time now and it was raised once again during a train journey from Nyon to Geneva, where I was supposed to take a plane back to Brussels. I had attended the UNI Global Union Leadership Summit on Digitalisation and I had the privilege to be accompanied during my train journey by Saadia Zahidi, one of the guest speakers, who is the Head of Education, Gender and Work at the World Economic Forum. Our conversation turned, of course, to the outcome of the presidential elections in the USA. Saadia, who had studied there, told me that her dream of the land of endless opportunities seemed to have fallen apart within a sole election night. Looking back at the year 2016, I heard myself saying the same about the European Union. The ongoing financial crisis, the refugee crisis, terrorist attacks, the rise of right-wing populist parties and Brexit – to name but a few - have brought the European integration project to the edge of its destruction.

Since the beginning of the year, I have lived and worked in Brussels. Like many fellow friends, students and colleagues I have spent several years abroad – enjoying the advantages of an EU that is united in its diversity. And like many ‘millennials’ I have taken the privileges of a united Europe for granted. However, being part of the political scene in Brussels that is constantly shaken by economic, political and societal events in the EU and beyond, I witnessed that my dream is fading: the vision of a united Union no longer seems to be shared by many of its citizens. My thoughts go to the 4.4 million unemployed young Europeans, to the 52% of the British population that voted for the Brexit or to those people who feel attached to populist forces. ‘When and why have we lost them?’ I ask myself.

In meetings with policy makers, lobbyists or academics, in workshops or at conferences, I am often confronted with a repetitive political discourse. No matter what is discussed – climate, economic and labour, education or foreign policy – there are always two fundamental fronts: on the one side the striving towards a pure neoliberal model and on the other side a desperate but weakened call for a Social Europe. While the former side carries the risk to produce a  few lucky winners in a globalised world, the latter is defending the status-quo of a social model that is rapidly changing in a digitalised world. The need of  a new global distribution policy and a differentiated political discourse from the so-called established political parties has yet to be answered. Of course, cross-party cooperation is essential. However, despite all the compromises that must be taken at the European level, I have asked myself again and again: is there still a difference between conservatives, social democrats, liberals and greens?

In the past years, political party lines have become increasingly blurred and the striving for different responses towards global challenges has been less and less clear. A lively democratic culture of debate – among others with stakeholders like trade unions - is often missing but urgently needed on topics ranging from climate change, trade or tax avoidance to a lack of jobs or inadequate healthcare spending. All these topics always come down to national governments but often need a European response. However, since the outbreak of the financial crisis, back-room politics seem to have dominated the political decision-making once more, leaving large parts of the European population feeling excluded and left behind in turbulent times. This means that strict austerity policies and rising inequalities in our societies, which become visible in form of precarious employment and increased poverty, provide a breeding ground for populist forces. United in anti-EU sentiments, xenophobia and an open society in general, more and more people express their fear for a loss of security in these rapidly changing globalised times through an ‘us versus them’ mind set and an anti-establishment voting behaviour. ‘How do we win back lost trust?’ I hear myself querying in a chorus of worried voices.

At the end of the year, we are left with weak Member States and an even weaker EU. There is a feeling of helplessness. Nonetheless, in these times of crisis, voices for new models of society are raised. Even though they seem to be seldom heard and almost never taken into account, we are surrounded by courageous ‘realistic idealists’, who fight for a better EU. For instance, the hospitality towards refugees, the fight for workers’ rights, or the active involvement in the ‘Bremain’ campaign have shown that there are still many European citizens who believe in this integration project. And the tireless commitment of those who stand up for a peaceful co-existence while fighting for freedom of demonstration and speech, religious liberty or a nuclear-free world prove that there are still voices of hope. The crucial question is: are these voices – including trade unions - able to create and spread positive energy, which can turn into a strong movement striving for a better EU?

The answer is yes. However, this requires in particular two things: firstly, that these different ‘voices’ – ranging from NGOs, trade unions or civil society organisations - work together and stress what they share rather than what divides them. And secondly, these committed voices have to newly shape their ways of communications. In order to be heard, to convince fellow citizens and to gain back lost trust, it is not sufficient to reduce the form of communication to social media - a medium that addresses first and foremost like-minded people. We have to transform our self-centred life-style and our way of communication into an altruistic behaviour that accepts and encourages diversity. And we need to let that shine through in a positive and constructive discourse. But are we courageous enough for this step?

At a time in which our daily and future life is deeply affected by economic, political and societal developments, we all have to ask ourselves whether we would like to choose the most convenient way or the way we consider to be the right one. And when time is so scarce within which there is still the possibility that we can succeed in rescuing the European integration project, I have decided to no longer think whether I regret my decision to have studied European politics – I will do all I can to shape a better Union.