In his speech titled “When the Horizon of European Integration Recedes: Implications for the Current International Situation” in the context of the Delphi Economic Forum VIII 2023, Mr. Prokopios Pavlopoulos, former President of the Republic, Academician and Emeritus Professor at the EKPA School of Law, noted, among other things, the following:

“The deep and multifaceted crisis that erupted at the international level after the barbaric Russian invasion of Ukraine, unfortunately, hit the European Union at the right time, directly threatening its cohesion and, therefore, the prospect of European unification, insofar as it shakes the key foundations . the success of this point of view.

Self-pity sometimes does not affect the prospect that the European Union will play in a sinister international environment the role that belongs to it far beyond its territorial borders. This is an additional reason why, par excellence in the context of today’s terrible situation, those of us who participate in the European Union, having the consciousness of a true European citizen – a consciousness that “inspires” the common struggle to complete the European structure – must understand, and in time that her role transcends her nations and is literally planetary. In the sense that this role is also of decisive importance for the course of Humanity as a whole, in relation to the fulfillment of its destiny.

In particular, the aforementioned role is not purely economic, since the European Union, of course, always striving for the economic development of its member states in conditions of healthy free competition in the context of genuine liberalism, was not created at all in order to “conquer”. costs, global economic “top”. Moreover, again based on the conditions of its creation, the European Union – of course, always protecting the borders, territorial integrity and national sovereignty of the member states, which are both its own borders and its own territorial integrity – is not destined, necessarily, to become the strongest military power in the world. More precisely, the necessary and imposed economic and military power of the European Union is determined, in terms of their size, by the requirements and “projects” of the planetary role that it must fulfill in accordance with the conditions that led to its establishment and subsequent upward development.

This planetary role of the European Union, clearly beyond its Member States and their peoples, is that, based on its History, its Culture and the circumstances of the birth of the “vision” that foresaw and foreshadowed its completion – it must evolve into that force that will protect the critically important, as already indicated, principles and values ​​for Humanity. These are the principles and values ​​of peace, democracy, especially representative democracy, and fundamental human rights. Basically rights, which are inextricably linked with the concept of justice, and especially social justice. The following clarification needs to be made here: this does not claim that the European Union has an almost hereditary monopoly on the protection of the aforementioned principles and values. But the fact, historically and culturally indisputable, is that the European Union, with a full European structure, is the most appropriate international entity to defend with due coherence and effectiveness at the global level the principles and values ​​mentioned above. In the context of today’s global upheavals that threaten Man, peace and democracy, it is inconceivable that the European Union should remain “stagnant” – or even “regressed” – from the point of view of the decisive importance for the future of the prospect of European Unification and European integration.

Therefore, it is necessary “here and now” to complete the “unfinished” European building at an accelerated pace. It owes this, first of all, to its Founders. Who foresaw – without being, of course, incorporeal – a united Europe, so that we would not experience again the nightmares of the Third, undoubtedly fatal for Humanity, World War. He is also indebted to his people and his culture. Whom should he protect in full from the “traumatic” for them and for our European “identity” challenges from third parties, which fundamentally hit the European “dignity” and “pride”. Based on the foregoing, it is unacceptable to remain silent and put up with the extremely passive position of the institutions of the European Union so far in the face of Turkey’s unacceptable challenges to the detriment of Greece and, above all, Cyprus, of which a significant part of it is still under Turkish occupation. This fact is also unacceptable for the essence of the sovereignty of a member state of the European Union, since this sovereignty is enshrined in the most basic European law, in particular in the TEU. Finally, he is indebted to Humanity, for the sake of which he is obliged to play a truly “planetary” role. A role consistent with European democracy and European culture, with the aim of protecting humanism, peace, fundamental human rights, justice and, above all, social justice.

Consequently, the dire contemporary international situation peremptorily “reminds” of the need to defend “decadent Europe”, bringing into play the thoughts articulated by Raymond Aron in his famous essay “Plaidoyer pour l’Europe décadente” (ed. Robert Laffont, Paris, 1977): We must fight for the European Union, we must defend the European Union by making European unification and European integration a reality. So, the completion of the European structure in accordance with the objectives of its Founders and in accordance with the letter and spirit of the Statutory Treaties of the European Union. And this duty belongs not only to those who lead the European Union or member states. It belongs to all, without exception, conscious Citizens of the European Union, who must remember that, based on its History and its perspective, we are also Citizens of the World.

Ensuring European integration is our duty to Humanity as well, in order to protect Humanity, Humanity, Democracy and Justice on a global scale.

Ultimately, in order to protect our History and our Culture. Any “complacency” and, even more so, “compromise” with the current, ominous situation and the prospect of the European Union in terms of European unification is unacceptable. On the contrary, let us follow Berenger’s “example” of resisting Ionesco’s Rhinoceros. And let’s learn Paul Bourget’s saying: “We must learn to live the way we think. Otherwise, sooner or later we will learn to think the way we live.”