Sovereignty

Over the past year, Europe, besides the economic crisis, has had to face another big challenge: the largest refugee flow since the Second World War.

The political Left in Europe appears to have given up on trying to put forward a positive picture of migration.

The right to asylum is not a numbers game, it is a human right.

Greens have always defended that Europe is the right political space to provide answers for the many challenges we face and that it needs a democratic renewal. DiEM25 takes a step, albeit timidly, towards a green Europe and a green and shared prosperity that respects the planet.

The Left in Europe might be tempted to answer with Left-wing populism to the current return of borders and to the broader socioeconomic crisis. This is playing with fire. An escalation of populism would actually benefit Right-wing populism. Only a consistent Europeanisation led by the Left can respond to the 21st century challenges of Europe.

Myths endure because they create an outstanding surface upon which a range of ideas can be projected. The idea of a European army is no different. It has long been a repository for a wide array of concepts and goals for a flamboyant vision. Yet anyone who tries to grasp this pretty soap bubble ends up disappointed: It slips away or bursts.

Joschka Fischer’s new book, ‘Is Europe Failing?’ does not offer armour-plated solutions. Nevertheless, as well as its sharp analysis of the causes of the current European problems, it proposes a framework for resolving them. In any case, the book is an essential reading – beginning with the electric shock of seeing such an ardent supporter of the construction of a united Europe sounding such a loud alarm.

“L’Europe, C’est Nous” (Europe is Us), by Edouard Gaudot and Benjamin Joyeux, invites us to consider the “real Europe” – a daily reality made up of exchanges, networks, mobility and cultural dialogue – in the face of huge challenges. The worrying results of the May elections mean we must look beyond the present and, above all, not despair. A review by Pierre Jonckheer.

Ukrainian author Jurij Andruchowytsch, jointly with numerous intellectuals, calls for solidarity with Ukraine in an open letter to the German government.

The Fifth Republic in France has become characterised by an increasingly narrow political class, while the political engagement of citizens has plummeted. The EU has not succeeded in improving these weaknesses in democracy, which can only be surmounted through a successful campaign for deep reform: a transition to the Sixth Republic.