Friends of Europe gathering - unexciting reform ideas

EurActiv reports from the annual conference of Friends of Europe, a Brussels-based pro-European think-thank that wants to stimulate discussion and new thinking on political, economic, social and environmental issues that confront Europe and the world. The discussion at the conference was concerned about the lack of "common sense" in the world to day. Etienne Davignon, president of the think-tank, said (European) leaders instead of spending hours analysing the causes of a crises should find rapid, common sense, solutions that brings results.

It was stated that

Brexit and growing euroscepticism across Europe, terrorism, the largest migration of people since World War II, sovereign debt, doubts about the euro’s viability, the rise of populism and right-wing parties, and Russia’s menace are undermining people’s confidence in EU leaders and the European project.

The pride of what was achieved collectively despite the crisis, insisted EU grandees, must be restored...

Now we have an enemy. The populist parties have said they want to destroy the Union, concurred Davignon. We have to do something about it and we are not doing it...

Too many lies are being told and not much is being done by those who can fight back with arguments. Facts have disappeared from the political discourse, so has historic perspective.

Where were we in 1950, where are we now? Why don’t we ask that question, Davignon asked, offering the answer: There has been a fantastic change. He called for a positive agenda based on facts and science.

The participants insisted on the value of better educating national MPs

We need to create champions at national level to sell the positive message of Europe

Many wished Brexit would be used as a genuine wake-up call but no sign of such was in sight.

A glimmer of hope came from those who pushed to ditch the technocrats and let the more enthusiastic Erasmus generation take centre-stage

Even if it is admirable that people show enthusiasm for the development of the EU, critically rethinking is completely lacking. Why do we need the EU today? What can others do better? How can the EU be more democratic ? Are eurosceptic "populists" enemies ? How prevent that globalization creates losers and winners? How to stop a growing confrontation with Russia ? 

Unfortunately it still seems, despite Brexit, as a truly "better Europe" is a distant future music.