The 12 challenges for Europe

2. European identities

Glass curtains

On the 9th of November 1989, to the music of Rostropovich’s cello, the Iron Curtain that divided Europe into two parts, collapsed. A new world emerged - a continent where people could at last move freely.

Twenty years later, the parts of the wall that remain have become touristic sites, and are a strong reminder of those who, all over Europe, died or fought for a future without stone borders or barbed wire.
Now at the beginning of the 21^st century, we are experiencing a new type of partition, the difference being that today, everything is out in the open. Because of this transparency, from East to West and from North to South, peoples’ sense of hope is growing.

Images, as well as new means of transport and communication, make our world more transparent and multicultural than ever. However, there are still many people trying to escape from politically and economically deprived areas. From Ceuta to Melilla, Calais or Malta, whether or not they are members of the European Union, whether or not they share the Schengen space, these people are not yet able to enjoy the freedom that others take for granted.
If we accept the challenge of defining its political orientation, Europe has the means to destroy these last “glass curtains” and to redefine the meaning of borders.

It’s up to us to encourage this process.