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In fact, the EU is about something completely different than the immediate satisfaction of the interests of the corporations, the vision of which extends no further than to the next quarterly results. The European Union is firstly and essentially a cultural project. At the beginning, there was an idea, which, as said, could not be derived from capital investment interests. An idea, the implementation of which was to finally facilitate sustainable peace across this continent which was continually being ravaged by war. The founding fathers of the European unification project had experienced four wars during their lifetime. All wars of the modern era in Europe were products of nationalism, were national wars of unification and conquest, the consequences of competition and the ideological enmity between nations. Nationalism has led to the greatest crimes against humanity in our history, to wars in which the civilian population is no longer spared, to attempted genocides, to Auschwitz. Only by overcoming nationalism can lasting peace be achieved, can a dignified life based on universal human rights be guaranteed in the long term. And how can this be accomplished? The idea was inspired: Having the nations gradually cede sovereign rights to supranational institutions until, sometime in the future, with all options for political configuration lost, the nations wither away. This idea is bold, but can no longer be described as ‘utopia’ and dismissed for this reason, for a utopia is defined nowhere and never, the European idea however has developed tangibly and realistically for more than sixty years here, in Europe, and has already sustained itself very well. Now is an idea which derives from historical experiences a new definition of the identity and the social affiliation of the people and develops a new way living together, first a cultural phenomenon and in proportion as they attempt to change the political culture and practice, is a cultural and political project. ‘The economy’ is supposed to be a means to an end through appropriate economic policies and to serve the idea – and it can benefit in this way. The offer was: They receive growth opportunities through the internal market, free movement of capital, single currency, etc., with the effect that, through international integration, no nation can make decisions against others based on national egotism without harming themselves economically. The interests of the economy should only be served to a limited ex
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