Reflections on the European crisis

Mendi Rabinovitz*


I find myself writing this paper after a meeting with the head of the political education ministry of the state of Hessen, Germany.
The ministry was established after 1945 in order to embed the democratic values in the new West Germany and it has worked very successfully since then.
It organizes seminars, teaching materials and consistently creates deliberative arenas where political discussions take place.
I find the last symptoms of the European malaise coming from the severe absence of those deliberative arenas, where public opinions take places.
The European Union has the image of an old elite production, led by unengaged "grey" politicians who are going to leave for the next generation something unclear without even asking them if they want it as such.
The radical problem, which emerges through the referendum in France and the general discontent over the continent, deals with the issue of participatory democracy and the process of public opinion shaping.
A Top- Down old politics is not accepted any more. What we have seen in France is a loud and clear demand of the people to be involved in the process of a constitution building, and not only approving it as a final one.
Except the failed process, I would like to elaborate one subject concerning the crucial obstacle of what seems to be a tradition of ignoring the problem of nationalism..
As one used to say, The news of iminent death of The national instinct and spirit were too early. It is still alive and kicking!
As Sir Isaiah Berlin reminded us, we should not underestimate it as a lasting and powerful ideology from the the former age of ideologies.
Nationalism has to be dealt with very sensitively. I find the European constitution not giving enough attention to this emotional dimension.
One possible explanation may be the dominating economical logic of the EU leading elite, and the neglected historical- social thinking.
We may shortly conclude that the combination of the narrow, alienating process combined with some fundamental unfinished thinking on issues like nationalism, is the root of growing discontent about the constitution.
The involvement of citizens in policy shaping is a critical demand for the health of the Union. Another important point is the balanced variety of experts to the deliberative process. As an Israeli observer, who sees the future of Israeli-European relations as a strategic issue for my country, I believe in the creative force of the EU to establish co-operative methods of thinking and acting in solving its complexities.
I find the European institutions and political culture as an appropriate model for the Israeli government and civil society. Models like the German political education system or the growing think tanks network should be adapted to Israel.
A cohesive and agreed European constitution which will lead a mutual learning process is an interest for every Israeli who is wconcerned about the continuing emergence of the democratic values of the country.

June 2005

* Menachem Rabinovitz is director of the think tank Vision for Israel and PhD in Policy and Philosophy at Mandel School in Jerusalem.


PREVIOUS PAGE

The opinions

Send your opinion

Reflections on the European crisis