Time to ponder on what the European Union and European Parliament means for its citizens: a personal reflection from an Irish and British Citizen

Strasbourg is often said to be at the heart of Europe. Torn between France and Germany for decades it was perhaps an obvious choice for the construction of the Palais de l’Europe and the European Parliament. Recently I had occasion to visit the Parliament building and to listen to an interchange between young adults from all over Europe and the Vice-President of the Parliament.

The Parliament was completed in 1999 and is constructed from glass, metal, and wood. It is an elegant building and is impressive in appearance. Some 751 European deputies elected from 28 member states of the European Union meet in the building which is the largest parliamentary assembly elected by direct universal suffrage in the world.

The goals of the European Union are said to be to:

• promote peace, its values and the well-being of its citizens;
• offer freedom, security, and justice without internal borders;
• provide sustainable development based on balanced economic growth and stability;
• combat social exclusion and discrimination; and
• promote scientific and technological progress.Rob Mark at the European Parliament

Rob Mark at the European Parliament

The European Union’s fundamental values are respect for human dignity and human rights, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law. These values unite all the member states and no country that does not recognise these values can belong to the Union.

Whatever ones views it is hard to dispute the fact that the European Union has increased harmonisation between different countries and populations protecting peace and respect for fundamental rights and well as bringing about economic and political prosperity for its peoples.

The single market has provided opportunities for many and in the field of education, many students have been able to fulfil their dream of studying abroad, which was only possible for so very few just a generation ago.  

Of course, the European Union has not always found the right response to challenges and as a result, some may question its ability to address the different problems facing us. Nevertheless, despite these problems, one is left wondering if the way forward for the UK is to ‘run and jump’ from this now well-established Union of European nations? The EU’s core values are ones that are cherished by the UK and which Britain has also played an important role in developing across the globe.

As I wandered around the Parliament, alone and unsupervised and under the gaze of the Union Jack, I couldn’t help feeling that the Parliament would be at a loss from the loss of this flag. In the ongoing debates about participation in the European Union, perhaps more attention needs to be given to us core values and what they mean for us all in Europe.

Rob Mark