Intellectuals make us think. Thinking make us develop. So let’s go on with more intellectuals. Today with Konrad Paul Liessmann, born 1953 in Villach. He is professor at the Institute of Philosophy at the University of Vienna and the editor of Zsolnay’s PHILOSOPHICUM LECH series. He has been a journalist since 1980, and awarded by the Austrian State Prize for Cultural Journalism in 1996.
Konrad Paul Liessmann – Austria
He says: “There has been little progress in forming a common political will”. I am fascinated by the grand political experiment that is Europe. Viewed from a historical perspective, we are about to witness a further step toward the realization of a utopia that has been on people’s minds since the 17th century: the unity of Europe. However, there is a catch. Whereas everyone agreed relatively quickly about economics, about the free movement of goods and capital and with a certain delay, about the free movement of persons, I believe the political, social and historical dimension is still often largely omitted in official statements. A league of states is certainly imaginable, but a “United States of Europe” probably still remains an illusion.
At the political level, I see a definite need for action; there has been little progress in forming a common political will. Nonetheless, the European peoples’ political energy for integration will determine whether the EU becomes more than merely a fair-weather economic project. The basic mood right now is naturally euphoric, but let us not forget the issues and potential for conflict the larger Europe poses for everyone. After all, the process involves very different political developments, highly divergent historical experiences, and a diversity of cultures, religions and languages.
And we must keep in mind that after the end of Communism in Eastern and Central Europe, it was not just capitalism that triumphed, nationalism did, too. Another important factor is whether we can ease up on our previous obvious cultural orientation by the West. Can we discover the literary landscapes of the new Member States, for example, not only in the hour of their accession but in the long term as a decisive force in European culture? As regards the political dimension, we have to be clear that the larger Union creates a prosperous economic and living area with more than 400 million people. In its wake, issues of power and distribution will be revisited. Like it or not, Europe will become an international power factor, moreover, one that is in charge of atomic weapons. In pivotal terms, these facts may give rise in the near future to two political questions: How successful is European Community policy in domesticating nationalism and the interests of the nation states? And: Where should the outer borders/boundaries of the Union be drawn in the medium term and what form should they take? (see more on Magazine May 2004).
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