"What the refugees bring us is more valuable than gold"
Martin Schulz held the Heidelberger university speech - He wants to return to a Europe of values - also for the rise of right-wing populists, he has an explanation
Martin Schulz is a staunch Europeans, everyone knows that. That the President of the European Parliament also holds great speeches, passionate and clear lived around 400 listeners on Thursday in the auditorium of the new university. "Home, escape and identity in times of globalization" was the theme of his "Heidelberg University speech" at the invitation of the…
Institute of Jewish Studies.
Schulz 'core message was unmistakable: "Europe needs to be a community of values founded on humanity Only then is home for Europeans and for all people who come to us.."
Klug declension the SPD politician by changes in the homeland concept. Whereas previously the identity of a person, "when I was a child", was often closely linked to a geographically limited area, many young people felt quite different now: "You have a home of many places." For Schulz home and identity mean today, especially the feeling of belonging to a community of values. "But this feeling is growing only slowly in us." Centers into this change, the huge challenge had now come to include more than one million people, who in turn lost their home.
Some feel that seal up Europe, is the right answer. "It is the solution that scream the populists of the 21st century in the cold night sky, after having brought the flags of their grandfathers from the basement." But it is of course a misconception that home is something homogenous whole that you have to protect against intruders. "Multiculturalism is available in Europe for centuries, it is a continent of mixing." Schulz painted a bleak picture, also in the European Parliament he experiences every day, as some were continually pushing the limits to the right: "The demons that have pulled this continent into the abyss, are more alive than ever."
And the 60-year-old also has an explanation for the rise of right-wing populists: the loss of confidence in institutions - also due to the globalization. "The bipolar system of the Cold War has been replaced by a multipolar disorder," said Schulz. With an increasing number of actors in the international system, it is much more difficult to negotiate stable agreements. And so to rot in many people the belief that governments can solve problems. "In addition, now also non-governmental organizations, multinational corporations or terrorist groups raise a claim to power." The crisis of the neoliberal economic system do the rest.
In these times there are loud Schulz just the seeking refuge in Europe people who could help us to perceive our value system again. "What bring the refugees to us is more valuable than gold," said Schulz. "It is the unswerving belief in the European dream. A dream that has gone eventually lost touch." To reactivate him among the people who live here a long time, but confidence in the European Union and its institutions must be rebuilt. For Schulz proposes three steps.
First: "We need to return to, think globally, act locally '." He was quite sure again return more authority to the local, regional and national levels. "Conversely, the EU needs then but also the unique competence to regulate those things that are not just feasible with national initiatives." Keyword refugees.
Second, pay that speculators no taxes on billions in profits but socialize their losses - that must cease. "We need a common tax policy." Unfortunately, the government detained against.
Thirdly, more plain, more close to the people. "We have about stop always talking in billions and think." For the majority of people 1000 euros were an awful lot of money. That had forgotten many politicians.
Martin Schulz is confident that his three-step, is returned to a Europe of values, the people trust the right way. Now he only has to convince the other European politicians.
RWDS when?
