Europe’s future lies in a community of values, not in political  centralisation

A commentary by Oliver Fiechter 

Europe is at a crossroads. While some political forces are striving for ever greater political  integration, it is becoming increasingly clear that the key to unity lies not in centralised  structures, but in a common set of values. This question is more pressing than ever in view  of the current geopolitical tensions and domestic political developments. Current  geopolitical developments have not only highlighted Europe’s dependence on the USA in  terms of security policy, but have also emphasised the need for independent and united  action. At the same time, populist and nationalist movements that openly oppose further  centralisation of the EU are influence . This shows that The political centrifugal forces  within Europe are increasing, and without a viable community of values, the EU will remain  a fragile entity, torn between the pressure to integrate and national sovereignty.gaining in  several EU countries 

The EU as an unfinished political experiment 

The European Union was modelled on the United States of America. As early as the  1940s, Winston Churchill spoke of the “United States of Europe” as the goal of European  integration. In the 1990s in particular, some EU advocates saw the USA as a model for  greater political integration in Europe. However, this comparison does not do justice to the  historical and cultural reality of the continent. While the USA formed a political entity out of  a clearly defined national identity, Europe is a mosaic of nations, cultures and history that  cannot tolerate forced political unity. 

In the current crisis situation, creating deeply rooted set of values is leading to blockages, a  loss of trust and political fragmentation. The outcome of the last European elections, with  the right gaining ground, has shown that citizens do not believe in a centrally controlled  Europe, but that there is a growing desire for more flexible, value-based cooperation. The  debate about the future of the EU is therefore notthe attempt to force European unity  through technocratic structures without a 

This determine Europe’s role in a changing world.is issue, not just an institutional but an  existential challenge will that 

This misunderstanding is not accidental, but structural. The EU acts as if it is already a  federal state, but without the legal and political legitimisation that could support such a  structure. It gives the impression of unified decision-making power, but in reality it is a  

supranational entity without a common legal basis for comprehensive political control of its  member states. This structural deficit leads to contradictions in political practice: while the Commission is claiming , more and more competencesit lacks the democratic anchoring  and acceptance that such a claim to power would require. 

Europe’s strength lies in its diversity – but diversity needs values 

European identity is characterised by a deep-rooted diversity that should not be seen as a  flaw, but as a strength. Over the centuries, this diversity has given rise to innovation and  made the continent resilient. geopolitical and However, economic crises show that this  diversity can if there is no common basis for decision-making. It is precisely here that it  becomes clear that purely political integration is not enough to make Europe capable of  acting. Unity cannot be enforced by institutions, but must out of a common set of  values.also be a weakness grow  

Values are not abstract concepts, but guiding principles that determine human behaviour. In  social psychology and behavioural economics, it is considered certain that values influence  our perception, motivation and decision-making. The Israeli psychologist Shalom Schwartz,  

one of the leading values researchers, has shown that values are universal, but that their  weighting and prioritisation are culturally determined. 

While individualistic societies are dominated by values such as self-determination and  achievement, collectivist cultures emphasise social harmony and security. In Europe, there  is a hybrid value architecture that encompasses identities and an overarching European  value system.both national 

The EU is not a federal state, but a political hybrid model 

However, the EU is modelled on the USA without fulfilling its structural requirements. While  the USA has a clear separation of powers with a unified executive, legislative and judiciary,  the EU is a mixture of national sovereignty and supranational control without effective  decision-making capacity and without deep democratic legitimisation. It has a common  currency, but no common fiscal policy. It claims to coordinate foreign policy, but the member  states pursue their own strategic interests. This structural imbalance makes the EU not a  federal entity, but a political hybrid model that oscillates between centralism and nation state autonomy. 

The solution to this problem does not lie in further centralisation, but in the development of  a community of values as the basis for political and economic action. Values determine  people’s . thoughts, actions and decisionsThey not only guide individual motivations, but  also shape the way societies are organised and to challenges. A community of values  would not only strengthen the legitimacy of European institutions, but also create the basis  for genuine political cohesion. 

Decision psychology provides an illustrative example of the importance of value  communities. According to frame theory (Tversky & Kahneman), decisions largely on how  they are interpreted value environment. If a value environment economic success and  competitivenessin a social and cultural , economic measures are favoured. If, on the other  hand, social justice and a sense of community take centre stage, political decisions will be  different. Europe has a central problem here: the EU is trying to form a political entity  without creating a coherent architecture of values to guide political decisions. 

Political integration remains unstable without a basis of values 

Political integration without such a foundation of values remains unstable. Studies from  behavioural economics show that shared values have a far stronger binding effect than  economic agreements or legal regulations. Laws can behaviourstandardise , but they  cannot create identity. The attempt to create Europe solely through bureaucratic

structures ignores this fundamental realisation. A community of values, on the other hand,  would create bond between the citizens of Europe that goes far beyond today’s institutional  mechanisms.a deeper legitimisation and an emotional  

The need for a community of values is also evident in the security policy debate. The USA  has increasingly withdrawn from its role as the undisputed guarantor of European security  and Europe must its own defence strategy. develop But what does security mean in the  context? Is it only about military defence or does also include economic resilience, energy  independence European and digital sovereignty? Without a common set of values, the  European security strategy will remain a patchwork of national interests. 

The failure to develop a common European identity means that the European Union is  constantly struggling with problems of acceptance. Trust in the European institutions  remains limited, as they are often perceived as technocratic and alienated. At the same  time, European politics is increasingly by conflicts of interest characterised between nation  states, as there is no canon of values that could serve as a guideline for joint  decisions.overarching  

Community of values or disintegration – Europe’s decisive moment 

The future of Europe depends on whether we succeed in creating such a community of  values. This requires a new understanding of integration is thatnot based forced  centralisation, but on a deep cultural and social anchoring of common principles. This is not  about dissolving national identities, but about integrating them into a European framework  based on a clearly defined foundation of values. Such a development would not only  political capacity to act, on strengthen Europe’s but also increase resilience and global  competitiveness.its economic  

The European Union must decide whether it will continue to attempt to through political  structures create an artificial unity orwhetherit will follow the path of a community of  values. Previous attempts at integration have shown that a purely institutional approach is  not enough. Europe needs an identity that grows from within and is not imposed from  Brussels. The future of the continent will not be decided in

Commission meetings, but in the hearts and minds of its citizens. Only if Europe rises to  this challenge can it survive as a strong, united and effective community. 

About the author 

Oliver Fiechter is the founder of the ISG Institute St. Gallen, which has been since intensively  involved in values research in a social and economic context . In 2009, together with  PricewaterhouseCoopers, he initiated the largest European values research platform “Swiss Spirit”  in order to comprehensively analyse the role of values in political, social and economic  processes.the early 2000s