Events dedicated to her day Europe, 9 May, at the national and European level, is a first-class opportunity to reflect on the EU process, its main achievements and its significant shortcomings. Over time, the processes of state formation evolve, either looking back and to unifying cultural and ethnological features that contribute to the formation of a distinct political community, or looking to the future, overcoming existing or past objections and oppositions, and relying on a common vision. the future from a single point of view. The first approach is found in historical political formations and is largely identified with the idea and formation of modern “nation states”. The second is found more in the social amalgams and corresponding identities that were created in the context of the political formation of “new states” in America and elsewhere. Out of the patchwork of people from different cultural backgrounds, new social aggregates emerged with new points of reference filtering and unifying different elements of individual identity. A key element to the success and completion of the second path of forming political communities is a dominant narrative that will function as a unifying and unifying one.

The day after European integration, there is a desperate need for a distinct narrative of its own. The past has long been dominated by peacebuilding, with a focus on Franco-German rivalry. Economic integration, and the resulting prosperity, were tools that often became central narratives, especially in times of economic growth and prosperity. These two narratives, which are especially useful at certain times in the unification process, at the current stage cannot offer the appropriate momentum for the next step of integration. A Franco-German confrontation, however bitter at times, cannot lead to war. Economic integration is facing an inability to overcome age-old tensions that would lead, for example, to fiscal union and extensive redistributive policies, despite important initiatives taken during the pandemic. In any case, even if there were significant advances on this front, the ability of economic cooperation to inspire and sustain the vision of a unified European political community is being questioned.

What could be the new grand narrative of Europe that paves the way for political unification? European society suffers from an ever-growing sense of insecurity. Insecurity exacerbated by each new crisis such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, insecurity associated with technological developments such as artificial intelligence that are causing significant social change in the workplace and between people, insecurity caused by a rapidly worsening environmental crisis and the ongoing destabilization of the ecosystem. Strengthening the security of citizens, especially in the face of challenges that go far beyond the geographical borders of the state, is a benchmark for the future of the European Union. This consolidation should be carried out both through the use of traditional instruments and through the expansion of cooperation in new areas. In the first category, a typical example is the regulatory and regulatory power of the Union in technologically advanced industries and its ability to control technology giants more effectively than individual member states. The second category is the broader momentum generated by the debate on closer defense cooperation, a long taboo subject. In any case, the Union’s future lies in the struggle for the hearts of citizens striving for security and stability. The narrative of Europe should be built on them.

* Spyros Blavoukos, Associate Professor, Athens University of Economics and Business and Head of the European Program Arian Kontelli, ELIAMEP