by Barbara Stefanelli
British torment, the continental shock of Qatargate, and a philosopher’s words about freedom (of life and criticism): shattering common architecture in order to dismantle it, igniting destructive anger, do not help the common good
When a modified Boeing 747 carrying a rocket and 9 satellite attachments took off from Cornwall a few days after Epiphany, the whole kingdom hoped to soon be reunited and celebrating in orbit. Far away from inflation, strikes, even princely struggles. Superior to the ties and slowness of European aerospace programs. Just before midnight, the base had to report an anomaly and abort the mission prematurely. The rocket, admits Virgin Orbit’s statement, never reached the expected altitude: the crew returned safely, but the super-technological and super-sponsored satellites ended up in pieces over West Africa. The British authorities have hastened to rightly declare that failure is the harbinger of future heavenly successes. But the blow was heavy. So much so that Boris Johnson’s clumsy Soviet-style profile was hastily deleted from a photo tweeted by one of his former ministers in celebration of the space launch. And the revival of the national image.
The euphemism of the former prime minister, whose return the Conservatives appear to want to shout BBB (Bring Back Boris, Give Us Back Boris), is not irretrievable. Social media falls are almost routine for modern day bold leaders. Such are cosmic delusions. This story shows, however, how shattered the dream of a new British era, freed from community baggage, seems to be, only seven years after the referendum and only three years after the procedures for detachment from Brussels began. What has Brexit done for Britain? asked The Guardian newspaper in early January. What has become of promises of redirected investment to local targets (an enormous sum of money, Brexit advocates said), reclaiming sovereignty over borders, fabulous multiplication of trade deals?
Hearing that obsessive slogan of the day again today – take back control, let’s take back control – takes us back to Cornwall, amidst the crowd excited by the Boeing’s dazzling departure but aware of the risks was not aware in phase two. Today, UK trade with the EU area has collapsed by a quarter, a million Europeans have left the country, the UK economy is performing below the average for the top 27 in what has been a difficult season for everyone. The objection This scenario is Qatargate. Can a Union rocked by Belgian federal prosecutors’ investigations – with allegations of corruption, money laundering and involvement in a criminal organization in and around Parliament – present itself as a better world? More reliable for the values and interests of citizens? Here it is easy to recall Helmut Schmidt’s lesson when he emphasized that Europe is in crisis. Or Jean Monnet, who encouraged us to observe how solutions to these crises are implemented in progress.
The 1970s are the story of another century, verily: the belief remains that only a structured response to Qatargate – set out in Strasbourg in the 12-point reform plan – can make a difference. We need clear rules defining roles and incompatibilities, more transparency in the decision-making mechanisms, and above all the ability to represent the needs (and the fears) of those who animate the Union outside the asterisked circles. Brexit and Qatargate were cross detectors for vulnerabilities. Together they have shown us one thing: that shaking up the common architecture in order to dismantle it, stirring up the destructive anger all around, closing the (so tiring) spaces of recognition do not lead to meaningful processes for the common good, against poverty and resentment. As the philosopher Slavoj Zizek wrote, the only true ideology that deserves to be lived in the European tradition. Because there is something unique, perhaps unrepeatable, in the idea and experience of freedom that Europe has always spawned and renewed: the same critical thinking towards Europe, from the right or from the left, that is rooted in our heritage.
January 20, 2023 (change January 20, 2023 | 08:15)
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