I'm feeling particularly European at the mo - a combination of the sheer exuberation of being at the heart of Europe in Vienna at IncrediblEurope last month and watching the World Cup - specifically changing sides and deciding I wanted Spain in the final after seeing how beautifully they played against Germany. Germany who in their own right have had a brilliant tournament. Am I for Spain against Holland? Not really, its win win. Neither have won the World Cup before. Its going to be a great feeling either way. As a European I work with and know people from these countries - they are part of my neighbourhood. And the fact that I can get in my car and drive to any of these countries without border guards demanding a visa or my needing to order travellers cheques means that we are interdependent in the way we always hoped that Europe might become in the early 1990s.
Its not perfect - its not democratic very few of us were given the chance to vote in favour of it - it was all manoevred at the national level by the politicians. Its a financial nightmare the EC budgets haven't broken even for longer than a decade. It doesn't matter - because the economic and cultural benefits of interdependence create more wealth even in the bad times. Than claiming sovereignty closing borders and trying to go it alone. I benefit when Germany, Holland Spain play well. That's what interdependence means. And there's no question of our being a single homogenous culture. My breakfast table at every European hotel I stay in is testament to that. There are at least 5 different ways to eat breakfast! There are lots of warnings that Europe needs protecting. I'm not sure. The idea of Europe needs protecting everything else leads to protectionism which would be the opposite even if it is protectionism for the sake of the Eurostate. What is unique about the European experiment is that it is multicultural and that is key to its strength That is not true of the USA or of Asia. Where economics or the sheer scale of markets and market development are the drivers. That's our point of difference. And its worth something evern if Europe is corrupt. Even if Europe is ageing. Its the wealth which allows me to bask not caring which teams emerge from the tunnel on Sunday. And which one disappears into the tunnel carrying a gold cup.
