The breath of Europe

Since July 2009 he has been the president of the European Parliament, the first member from an Eastern country to be appointed to such office. Poland-born Jerzy Buzek, born in Silesia in 1940, engineer, began to be involved in politics in 1980 with the foundation of the Solidarnosc movement. After having been in the foreground of the free trade union (one of the decisive factors for the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989), he was engaged in politics in his country and from 1997 to 2001 he was appointed Prime Minister in Warsaw. His contribution to Poland’s accession to the EU is widely recognised.Gianni Borsa interviewed him for SIR Europe just before his visit to Pope Benedict XVI, due on Monday, February 28th.A German Pope and a Polish President of the European Parliament will meet in the Vatican. There will be lots of items on the agenda. Which items are you going to draw to Benedict XVI’s attention? What does today’s Europe have to say or ask to a man of faith and culture like Joseph Ratzinger and to the Catholic Church?“We politicians in Europe should rather listen to what a man of faith and culture like Joseph Ratzinger has to say. After all, he is not only a Head of State, but first and foremost the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church: a community of believers that has shaped Europe. The very foundations of the European Union were laid by Christian Democrats like Schuman, De Gasperi and Adenauer who drew inspiration from the teachings of the Church. The European Union recognises in the preamble of its founding Treaty the cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe as source of inspiration. It is clear to me as to any considerate reader that Christianity has been a major source of inspiration for Europe. The Lisbon Treaty also gives a legal basis – for the very first time – to the institutional dialogue between the European Union and religious communities. I have already represented the European Parliament at such meetings. Last year, we had a dialogue with representatives of the Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Churches, as well as of Judaism and Islam, on how the EU can combat poverty and social exclusion. As President of the European Parliament, I am honoured to be received by Pope Benedict XVI. At a time of many changes in Europe and in the world, we all need some orientation. East and West are finally growing together. We in Europe are starting to breathe with both lungs again, as the great John Paul II had asked for in his speech in the European Parliament in Strasbourg in 1988. When a Pope from Germany and an EP President from Poland meet, we can be thankful for what we have achieved so far. There are many new challenges to come. I am aware that perhaps one of the most important concerns of the Catholic Church these days is the persecution of Christians in the Middle East. This is a concern that we very much share in the European Parliament, and we are encouraging Baroness Ashton, the EU’s new High Representative for Foreign Affairs, to lead the way with concrete measures to defend religious freedom”.What are the big challenges the EU has to face today? The ones in which “more Europe”, more integration between the peoples and states of the continent, are needed? And what do you think in this context about the growth in some worrying phenomena, such as populism, new forms of nationalism, xenophobia?“Today, Europe has to find its place in the world. Strengthening our unity and economic performance is a pre-condition for this endeavour, but we have to go further. We have to breathe life into the Lisbon Treaty, especially in the field of foreign policy. The EU needs sufficient means to secure a proper place in the world where emerging economies, such as China, India and Brazil, are increasingly influential. I am talking about both political and budgetary means. Member States should know that it is in their own interest to strengthen the position of Baroness Ashton and to increase the EU budget for foreign policy. We can actually save money if we share and pool our resources and competences. Together, we can achieve much more in the world. Look for instance at EU energy policy, one of my priorities: if we foster European investment to create a truly continental energy market, we will also be able to speak with one voice in the increasingly competitive international market of energy supplies. Only together, we can influence the international response to climate change and stabilise the price every citizen has to pay for electricity and fuel. That is what I call an added European value. European integration has always two dimensions: bringing together the European nations in one Union and supporting every citizen to find his or her place in a globalised society. Take for instance the global challenge of migration, the European challenge of ageing societies and the local challenge of disintegrating communities: they are all interconnected. Immigration to Europe is a fact and will rise in the coming years. We will have to find a European answer to this issue, but we should not forget what we owe to our families and to the social cohesion of every local community. I can understand that some citizens feel lost in a globalised world, where decisions taken on the other side of the planet can influence our daily existence, no matter where we live. In such a world, where time and space seem to be suspended, there are growing temptations to defend local identities in a simplistic way. Nationalism, xenophobia and populism are some of them. We need to fight these phenomena, while taking the concerns of our citizens seriously”.Over the last few months, you have taken position on several occasions on issues that believers are concerned about, such as ethical values, freedom of religion, support of families… Is the political Europe, the Europe of Strasbourg and Brussels, interested in such issues?” Of course we are. These are issues that concern the people who have elected us. Freedom of religion is one of the most basic human rights, one of the most intimate parts of human dignity. We cannot stay silent when people are killed for what they believe in, be they Christian, Muslim, Jewish or agnostic. What happened to the Christian communities in the Middle East over the last few years cannot be ignored. We do not want to lecture other countries, but we have to take the side of the oppressed and vulnerable. We need to ensure that Christians have a future in this region, that they can prosper, that they can live in dignity and do not need to flee, particularly since they have been there for two thousand years. This affirmation however implies that we should give ourselves an example. I receive serious complaints from some parts of Europe about how some immigrants are treated. I am happy that at least in Rome, Muslims can worship in a beautiful Mosque that has been visited in the last years by John Paul II and Benedict XVI. You also mentioned the support for families. This is a fundamental point for us in Europe. The EU strengthened the principle of subsidiarity, which has been developed by the Social Doctrine of the Church, in the Lisbon Treaty. According to this principle, families are the very heart of all human society. We have to protect and cherish them. Within its limited area of competence in this field, the European Parliament has done a lot to improve the working conditions of fathers and mothers. Only last year, the European Parliament voted for an extension of the paid maternity leave beyond the 14 weeks that are the minimum standard now. The national governments in the EU have still not reached an agreement on this measure, but I am hopeful they will do so soon. In this context, we should not forget the question of equal opportunities between men and women. Demographic change, which I have mentioned before, is not the only reason why we should unlock the professional potential of women. Work and family life must not be a contradiction!”.You often mention your roots, the years spent in a communist Poland, the commitment to rebuild freedom and democracy … How has Eastern Europe changed over the last 20 years? In Poland, Hungary, Estonia or Bulgaria, is public opinion still in favour of integration in the EU? Have people benefited from the country’s accession to the EU? And could the Union even grow further? After all, 5 countries stand to join the EU, and more are knocking on its doors.“When I started the fight for freedom in the Solidarnosc Movement, 31 years ago, I did not even dream about what was to come. It exceeded our most optimistic expectations, that the people’s struggle for freedom would be concluded successfully so soon. Who would have thought that East and West would be reunited? Who would have thought that the Iron Curtain would be lifted? We have achieved so much in so little time. Today we are free, our destiny is in our own hands and we are proud to be part again of the big European family. EU enlargements have successfully transformed our continent over the last 20 years and even before, considering the democratisation of Greece, Portugal and Spain in the 1980s. The perspective of enlargement has helped to establish lasting peace in the Western Balkans. There can only be one Europe for all! The history of European integration has shown the benefits of openness and solidarity. Those values are also central to Christianity. The EU will grow further in future and we will have to find ways to handle it. Europe is energetic, lively and changing. It is a project under construction. All European countries have the perspective to become members of the Union – when they are ready”.The EU should not be a self-enclosed “fortress”, it should open up its global frontiers. This has also been recalled on several occasions by Pontiffs and by other religious leaders. The cases of Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan, Haiti, Iraq, Pakistan, the Middle East have recently been tackled from different perspectives. We actually have the feeling the EU is shyly gaining the stature of a global player. What is your feeling about it?“A very important question! As I said before, Europe has to find its place in the world. We no longer want to only play the role of payer, but also to become a player. First and foremost, we have to find an answer to the developments in our immediate neighbourhood. The events in Tunisia, Egypt and throughout the Arab world are inspiring hope. From the very first minute, I have fully supported the legitimate aspirations of the people. As neighbours, friends and partners, we have to protect the flowers of freedom. We have to accompany the peoples of the South on the long road towards true democracy and rule of law that they are so bravely pursuing. We want to facilitate freedom and prosperity in our neighbouring countries. In this context, it is more than urgent to redefine the European Neighbourhood Policy, which is today not at the level of the challenge. Like the enlargement perspective for European states in transformation, we have to put flesh on the offer of partnership we made. The ad-hoc delegation of the European Parliament was the first official mission from Europe to visit Tunisia. They gathered information and are preparing the next steps. We have decided to send another delegation to Egypt. The European Parliament has called for a global donor conference to assist and stabilise the young democratic forces in our neighbourhood”.And finally: if we asked you to send a message to the young, what would you tell them? “Do not lose faith in the good we can do. Do not lose hope that it will be done. You are Europe, and we need you to stand up for Europe. I trust that you will know best what to do with it in the future”.