WW1

The imbalance and lack of solidarity between Member States is such that the project is running out of political energy, bringing adverse consequences for us all.

The idea of Europe becomes much more than simply an idea when people, overcoming the uncertainty – if not outright hostility – of states, act according to borderless solidarity.

Stories about the Great War are usually confined to a national perspective. The war of 1914-918, which decimated a whole generation of Europe’s population and marked those who survived for life, is hardly ever commemorated jointly. This ought to change.

How can we explain the shift in the prevailing attitude among the leadership of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Free Trade Unions at the beginning of World War I? In the space of a few days, a position of fervent opposition was replaced by patriotic support for the government’s military ambitions, and the reasons behind this change remain the subject of debate.

Polish history is shaped today by remembering the failed attempts in regaining independence. This leaves less and less space to tell different, more nuanced stories. This explains why Poland has an ambivalent memory of the First World War. In 1914, it was part of different empires. The end of the war was also the return of its independence. Strengthening alternative narratives may be crucial in opening Poland to stories linking its inhabitants to wider, European history.

‘History never repeats itself. Man always does’ This well-known adage of Voltaire seems more relevant than ever. As the British nation seeks to ‘commemorate’ the centenary of the start of the First World War, it is important to be very aware of and where necessary critical of the methods and use of language by which our leaders are attempting to portray this crucial event.

In the run-up to the 2014 European elections, all citizens of Europe had the opportunity to select the two leading candidates for the European Green Party. The winners of this ‘Green Primary’ were Ska Keller and José Bové, both Members of the European Parliament. What links do they see between Europe’s history and its politics?

Our understanding of our great history is compiled not only through our reading but also through the recounting of family stories. The commemoration of 1914 offers us the opportunity to reflect on the war, on the possibility for forgiveness, and on our responsibilities in the present.

There are parallels between the Europe of 1914 and that of 2014. Today’s divisions are the result of economic inequality and a crisis of democracy. The answer lies in social policy and in an anti-nationalist repolitisation of Europe.