Europe needs a new narrative

Today is the day after. After the EU elections of yesterday, which produced results that many have considered “shocking”. But they are not. It is true that in several countries the anti-European parties have done very well and got quite a number of seats. They will make a lot of noise in the European Parliament and will try to take advantage of that platform to gain even more political ground at home. They can however be contained. The vast majority of new Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) is from mainstream political parties and believe in the common project. They just have to better at fighting for it in Brussels and Strasbourg. They have to work harder and be bolder.

The true lesson I take from the election results is about the way the European project is presented. The old way of speaking about a space of peace and stability is no longer attractive for the younger generations. We need to recreate the narrative about the importance of building a united political space of freedom and human rights, as well as a society that promotes economic development, equity and opportunities for all. That´s the kind of story we need to put together. That´s what the young Europeans want to hear. We are not the US, we are not Russia, nor China, we are part of a community of peoples that have decided that united we will be strong. And a bit different. As Europeans, of course.