Watch the “The Great European Disaster Movie”, a wakeup call for everyone, portraying Europeans “sleepwalking towards disaster”. Take a few minutes for yourself, relax, click here, get on board enjoy, learn, get worried and wake up to The Great European Disaster Movie.
Today the European Union (EU) comprises 28 of the world's freest democratic countries, >500 million well educated and wealthy consumers, arguably the world's largest economy with >$17.65 trillion, >21 million successful small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and many more millions of businesses that benefit hugely from their trade with and invest in Europe.
Yet the four founding freedoms (the free movement of goods, capital, services and people) of the EU project is under extreme social and political threat. If, as I do, you believe that these freedoms boost economic growth, make the everyday life of consumers and businesses easier, that they promote cultural exchange, mutual recognition and respect, societal integration and peace, then you must actively support this European project.
My personal observation is that Europeans generally dislike the “European Union”: Europe yes we are the best, Union no damn way! During my frequent travels throughout Europe I regularly seek, even provoke, occasions to discuss the EU and the four freedoms project. Wherever I am, the common default view seems to be “dislike”. When I dig for reasons to understand what is behind this comfortable, easy anti-position I find; I don’t understand it, so I don’t like it. We Europeans seem condemned to dwell in our local likes and big picture dislikes. I am shocked by the almost tangible hankering for our romanticised nationalist, conflict ridden and economically devastated 20 century. In its context, such concerns are a part of our long historical tradition, remembering that Europe was never at peace before 1945. Continual wars have been fought for the respective unifications of Spain (1492), the United Kingdom (1707), France (1748), Italy (1860) and Germany (1871). The EU Project can be construed as the logical progression of such unifications, but this time peacefully (hopefully).
In another bad generalisation, I observe that non-Europeans generally like the “European Union”: Europe yes, Union, of course, makes sense. In contrast, when I am travelling outside Europe, the same EU discussion solicits an enthusiastic default position of “like”. A level of respect for the European individuals they know, those impressive European countries and their history and then as a whole, the huge EU unified project. Non-Europeans seem to “get it” more easily: they have, by definition, an easier external vantage point. Non-Europeans see the macro picture more easily: the peace-dividend of >500 million citizens living peacefully in 28 countries and the #1 economic 18 trillion euro economy position in this global, interconnected consolidating 21st century world.
The Great European Disaster Movie is a well-informed bumpy flight of fancy, with a seriously worrying message that Europe is headed to a 2nd dark age, relatively speaking. The project of an Italian (film director Annalisa Piras) and a Brit (economist Bill Emmott), with a supporting cast of expert and opinionated Europeans (who both dislike and like the EU) collaborated to bring us a “documentary exploring the crisis facing Europe” (BBC). The film argues that Europe is sleepwalking towards disaster. The film opens up on a jet buffeted in dark, stormy skies, sub-titled “Europe 35000 feet, in the near future” as the captain warns us it will be “bumpy ahead”. On-board one European (a young girl, evidently inheriting the disaster, yet she is also the future and our hope) converses with another European (an old male, the architect of the disaster, the generation that got it wrong, that is you and me) asking “What’s that?”, when told of the EU! To quote the producers of the movie, Springshot Productions, they then take us “Through 5 different European stories, in Britain, Sweden, Germany, Spain and Croatia the film creates a unique, choral portrait of the “European dream” and how it could be lost forever. The positive achievements of a Union that has created prosperity, stability and the most advanced welfare states in the world, while preventing major wars on the continent, come to life and underpin the case for urgent major EU reform”.
This is a must see for all those concerned by Europe’s future, our creeping catalogue of crises and most worryingly our current political trajectory. And by those concerned, I mean everyone on this planet. The 500 million Europeans (get this movie into school rooms across Europe), those millions who wish to immigrate here, those hundreds of millions of tourists (Europe is the world’s #1 tourist destination), those millions who invest billions and trade even more hundreds of billions with Europe and those billions influenced by European culture and civilisation.
Sleep walking towards a disaster, zzzzzzzzzz, yes we clearly are and that includes me. Europe is up in the air and faces a brutal landing. Watch (out) “The Great European Disaster Movie”!
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