The idea of ​​European construction was not created by the genius of mankind, but by the fire of the tests of history. Victor Hugo’s speech about the United States of Europe did not stop two world wars, did not stop the Holocaust, did not stop the nuclear bomb, did not stop extremist ideologies. Humanity had to sink to the lowest point of existence to become synonymous with monstrosity. After these episodes, Europe was built, when Europe and the whole world woke up from the drunkenness of ideas that left eternal traces in the soul of humanity.

Schumann’s famous speech on May 9, 1950 was delivered in a magnificently decorated hall, but in a deeply wounded, destroyed Europe, which must be reborn from the ashes. The politicians of that era were not geniuses, they were people who understood the weight of history and the responsibility to build bridges where ideas were destroyed, physical bridges where bombs were destroyed, in connection with the politics of reconstruction, the politics of revival, the politics of forgiveness. Because times of austerity produce far-sighted statesmen. Europe had its founding fathers, leaders who knew how to draw the right conclusions.

Since then, the European Union has grown, transformed, hardened itself to other historical moments and become a place of peace. In 2012, this merit was recognized by the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize during a period of serious economic challenges that significantly undermined the standard of living of many European citizens. Somewhere along the way, Romania, freed from the Causian communist yoke, also breaks the chains of the Iron Gate and joins this European project.

Beyond the contextual reasons for wanting prosperity and security, civil society today looks to the European Union as a compass pointing in the right direction to democracy, to human rights, to prosperity, to opportunity and freedom.

We are in 2023, after a pandemic, a war on the border, an uncertain economic situation with the European Union, which seems far from the daily life of citizens, although it tries to do the opposite. Suddenly, the Europe of bridges and the compass for democracy becomes a scapegoat for all the troubles of its citizens. A war of invisible propaganda and demogogy fueled by politicians for votes.

It is paradoxical and at the same time unpredictable that politicians know best that negative emotions cause stronger reactions, feelings, thoughts. A global phenomenon in which politicians are no longer looking for harmony, but discord, using ideas to destroy bridges between communities and families.

The era of moderate politicians is passing, politicians with radical ideas are attracting the public’s attention more quickly. New technologies, the Internet and social networks, put entertainment in competition with politics, which needs votes, so radical ideas, propaganda, simplification, demagoguery become tools to capture the already extremely limited attention of the voter. For electoral reasons, political parties engage in a race for persuasion, popularity, communication and marketing, leading to polarisation, ideas that divide people. The world has become too complex and confusing to understand management.

From a global, interdependent, complex financial economy to a digitized world with artificial intelligence, to unstable geopolitics with serious problems such as climate change, migration, to crises of all kinds, the politician of 2023 invents other lighter problems, which he finds in abundance. solution for them.

Leadership and management becomes the art of juggling simultaneous crises, in which at a certain moment you find yourself overwhelmed by their scope and lack of tools, because even in the mentioned not the strongest country, in ideal conditions of democracy and stability, it cannot solve global problems alone. Pessimistic forecast. But in essence, he has the spirit of a plea for a united Europe. Because in moments of crisis, solutions, although not ideal, were often found jointly at the European level. – read the entire article and comment on contributors.ro