The European Paradox

If we look at European achievements, we can list liberalisation of the market, monetary union, and budgetary austerity rules. These are all typical right wing party goals. If we look at left wing party goals: harmonised social security, harmonised tax system, etc, none of these has been achieved. In other words, we have a strong or advanced Europe in 'liberal' matters and at the same time a weak or slow Europe in matters of social security.

Yet in the northern countries, the right wing parties want to leave Europe! The left wing parties would rather stay in Europe. In the southern countries, some left wing parties would like to leave as well, but that is because of the harsh austerity measures.

Europe has never been able to touch the national competence in controlling the incomes and the expenditures, apart from some imposed symptom reduction measures. The reason is that national sovereignty is still a sacred principle. In times of growth, inter-regional and international solidarity is usually not much of a problem. But in times of decline, solidarity goes down and meritocracy rules.

Let us look at Flanders. Around 25% of its income is directly related to the harbour activities in Antwerp. The province of Antwerp could tell the province of Limburg that this 25% is Antwerp's merit and that Limburg should not parasitize on Antwerp's work and should find its own revenues. This will not happen because this interregional solidarity is now self-evident in Flanders.

Let us look at Belgium. There are two visions. The Flemish nationalist vision is that Flanders and Wallonia are distinct people and distinct regions which should be in charge of their own revenues. Some Flemish nationalists are not against solidarity, but it should be a transparant solidarity. The Belgian patriottic vision is that Flanders should show solidarity with Wallonia, as Flanders is nowadays by nature a richer area than Wallonia. Interregional solidarity is self-evident in Belgium for some, and not self-evident for others. In the end, this remains a political choice to make.

Suppose solidarity may or should play within Belgium, why could it not play within Europe? If Germany is "by nature" more prosperous than Greece, why could Germany then not show solidarity to Greece, or perhaps to Wallonia? Why should  solidarity to Wallonia be the privilege of the Flemish people? Why should Luxembourg not show solidarity to Wallonia - not just a little - but to the same extent as Flanders?

It will take a while before we Europeans see it this way, especially in this time of economic uncertainty. The refugee question and the migration question will not be solved without such a paradigm shift.

We may think our problems are typically Belgian or European. But who would have thought similar problems - including a mental retreat to the trenches - would occur in the United States of America? I refer to Donald Duck's unexpected success in the presidential pre-elections.

I refer to my earlier blog: "Europe, quo vadis?"