Douwe Miedema, Editor-in-Chief
There is no doubt that Brexit – supposed to happen on the day this magazine appears, but even that is not clear – is a setback for Europe. Perhaps the rift – papered over – was there ever since the UK joined the European Union in 1973. Perhaps the UK’s need to stay behind a moat was deeper-seated than people realised at the time. Or perhaps things have simply changed.
Equally, there is a risk from the European elections in May. Some surveys show that EU-sceptic political newcomers will grab a third of seats in the plenary. True, that still means that two-thirds are EU-enthusiasts. And no, not all these critics want to abolish the EU. But such a large protest vote should be taken seriously. Politicians must better understand why it is happening.
At the same time, it can be argued that we are witnessing a European renaissance. The EU is playing a more prominent role in public debate than it has done in a long time. Not a day goes by without an EU topic figuring in newspaper headlines, or on prime-time television.
Long gone as well is the idealistic – often barely noticed – rhetoric that characterised the EU debate in the past. The conversation now is about real issues: maintaining the rule of law, immigration, security of outside borders, and income inequality for instance.
If that shift shows that the EU is becoming politically more mature, then that is a good thing. And if becoming politically more mature means a more heated and less predictable debate, then that is a price worth paying. After all, politics has always been an adrenalin rush.
This magazine hopes to make a valid contribution to the debate. Certainly, Luxembourg – a microcosm of Europe – is a good place to watch it from.
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