Six European consuls extolled the successes of the European Union Tuesday afternoon, but were met with incisive questions from faculty and students in attendance who criticized their positive outlook. Hosted by the Watson Institute for International Studies, the panel discussion - "Social and Political Issues Facing the European Union at 50: Consuls from Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain Offer the Perspectives of Their Countries" - filled the Joukowsky Forum to capacity.
Each consul spoke briefly on what they perceived to be the most important issues facing their own country and the EU at large. Because Portugal currently holds the presidency of the European Union, the Portuguese consul general in Boston, Manuela Bairos, began the program. Alenka Suhadolnik, Slovenia's consul general in New York, spoke last. Of the nations present, Slovenia was most recently incorporated into the EU and will be following Portugal in assuming the six-month presidency of the EU starting in January.
The EU was initially constructed as an economic arrangement, evolving from the embryonic European Coal and Steel Community in 1950, which sought to politically and economically consolidate the continent into the six-member European Economic Community. Each consul emphasized, however, that the 27-member modern EU is not simply a federation or an economic association. Rather, said Consul General Constantinos Orphanides, representing Greece, "it is something much more."
Each of the six consuls' comments struck a similar chord, praising the EU's function in facilitating the recovery of countries emerging from extreme political instability or communism, such as Spain and Slovenia. Carlos Robles, consul general of Spain in Boston, said restructuring Spain after the rule of fascist dictator Francisco Franco depended on the supportive economic structure afforded by the EU when the nation was still weak from the stresses of dictatorship. "The EU, to Spain, meant liberty, or perhaps democracy, stability, and progress."
Italy's consul general in Boston, Liborio Stellino, remarked that his country would not have developed as successfully as it did after World War II without the EU's support.
"Italy emerged from an occupation and fascist dictatorship, thus the vision of the Italian leadership ... was to join the country to the free Europe," he said. Similarly, for Slovenia, Suhadolnik said, EU "acceptance ran parallel to democratization and independence" after the breakup of Yugoslavia.
With regard to current geopolitical events, several of the consuls called for a revision of transatlantic diplomatic relations. "Personally, I do think our relationship with the United States needs to go beyond the military and economy," Portugal's Bairos said.
All of the consuls spoke positively of the EU's enthusiastic trend of expansion as well as the development of a transnational European culture. Rather than critiquing the impact of such globalization on individual national cultures, the consuls were optimistic.
"The ultimate goal is not the homogenization of Europe. ... Rather you can freely share the cultural richness," said Stellino, who also hailed the EU as the "greatest laboratory of peace and prosperity in the century."
Portugal's Bairos agreed. "We are going through a process of redefining the European identity," Bairos said.
After the consuls' presentations, questions posed to the panel ranged from International Relations concentrator Aly Richards's '08 question about trends in bilateral relations to Renee Ahlers's '09 question about the future of NATO after the demise of the USSR as a common threat.
The consuls attempted to smooth more abrasive criticisms from the audience, such as questions over the absence of meaningful action in alleviating citizen dissatisfaction with employment, or the economic challenges facing the EU as it looks to expand with other countries, such as Turkey.
"We celebrate 50 years, not 150 years," said Wolfgang Vorwerk, Germany's consul general in Boston.
One faculty audience member expressed a dissatisfaction with what he described as the consuls "propagandized presentation," which provided no "empirical evidence" that the pending adoption of the Reform Treaty, which will soon be addressed in a summit at Lisbon, will be successful.
Ruben Durante GS, a doctoral economics student, spoke of his experience as a native Italian.
"Let's face it. We spend more on our cows than on our brains," he said, referring to what he perceives as misplaced priorities in terms of funding allocated to agricultural reform and education and research.
Despite the questions challenging the priorities and effectiveness of the EU, the consuls remained positive. In response to one attendee's suggestion for change, General Consul Robles responded, "If you move too quickly, the train stops."
