The euro was a political project created from above. Was this political action accepted by the citizens?
Monetary issues are always dealt with by experts in banks and similar institutions. People would easily accept it if they had jobs, if living standards were rising and if they were generally well off. Instead, there has been an economic downturn that they could never have imagined. Whole countries were literally impoverished.
There is no European dream today. There is only a desire to survive.
Today, we hear that paying with the euro across Europe is ‘the European dream come true’. To what extent is this true and to what extent is it just a necessary political platitude?
The American dream is a quiet family life and a house in the suburbs. The European dream could be essentially the same – with good state education, healthcare and a state-guaranteed pension. That I pay for rolls not in marks but in euros is not part of any dream, it is a technicality.
In fact, the euro has contributed to that dream falling apart. There is no European dream today. There is only a desire to survive. And the European dream does not exist even for the narrow elite. These people will not be confined to Europe. If they get a better offer from an American or Qatari corporation, they will not hesitate. Just as they are ready to betray their nation at any time, they are ready to betray the European Union.
