Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/455578
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2015 13 even if it translates into hardship in the immediate present? "Greek economic performance has turned the corner, definitely. It is still fragile, though, and that is why the Greek government needs to tread carefully. I agree that 'tough love' has some therapeutic qualities. But I also hold that those who suffer some kind of loss or deprivation as a result of austerity will never be compensated when economic growth returns. Growth, in itself does not signal an end to suffering. It is going to take some more years for unemployment to decline to more acceptable lev- els in the worse affected countries. With the advantage of hindsight, I think that some measures forced on Greece were too tough and actually made the recovery more difficult…" Meanwhile, moving further afield from Greece: the EU is often criti- cised for forging ahead with its own agenda regardless of resistance by European people. Is there a discon- nect between Brussels and the Euro- pean man in the street? What does this tell us about the Union's demo- cratic credentials? "There is a level of disconnection between the EU institutions and citi- zens, yes, and it has been there for some decades now, despite the fact that the EU has tried to close the gap. At the expense of sounding like an apologist for this dismal state of affairs, sometimes I wonder whether this is a peculiarity of the EU or a condition that exists in all large po- litical entities… such as the USA, In- dia and China. Physical distance and remoteness from the centre tends to disconnect citizens from the institu- tions." But Europe is a unique animal in many respects, and may be more prone to such internal tensions on account of the way its various strata are gelled together. "In Europe we face the additional phenomenon that national politi- cians blame the EU for policy failures and unpopular decisions, but take credit for the things that work well. Despite the perceptions, decisions in the EU are taken by the governments of the member states and the direct- ly elected European Parliament, no more, no less…" As such, the 'European Union' is not a separate entity, but very much part of ourselves: being made up of democratically elected governments. "So when we say that the EU goes ahead with its own agenda we must not lose sight of who dictates that agenda…." There is also evidence, he adds, that this mistrust of the EU is slowly ebb- ing. "The EU has a democratic deficit no doubt… only 42% claim that their voice counts in the EU, while 52% say it does not. But Eurobarometer surveys have shown that European citizens in general have less trust in their national governments and parliaments than in the EU institu- tions…" Yet there are also indications that discontent is by no means limited to economic considerations. Even outside the eurozone, there is broad disagreement over policies includ- ing immigration (the UK springs to mind) and fiscal harmonisation, among others. Is the 'European Dream' beginning to crumble? "Discontent always raises its head when things are not working as they should be. At present it is highest in the countries facing the worst hard- ships. In those member states where the economy is still doing well there is less." At the same time Pace reasons that some of the angst fuelling euro- scepticism may also be misdirected. "Some of the things which we blame the economic malaise on are not the real culprits. Immigration, for exam- ple: given the EU's aging population, immigration can boost its economic prospects, not hurt them…" Rather than blame the EU for fail- ing to manage this crisis, Pace argues that it would be more helpful for in- dividual countries to get their own act in order. "I think that we need to focus more on governance and long-term planning. The member states with the highest governance scores are the ones which perform better eco- nomically, and surely this is not co- incidental. Citizens need to demand more from their governments. We also need to focus on long term ques- tions – what are the forces which will shape the world in the future, how will the EU cope with these challeng- es and where will our country fit in the whole scheme of events?" Meanwhile, the danger that the EU may disintegrate remains a real pos- sibility, even though Pace himself doubts it will happen. "Regarding the 'European dream', it is very hard to say whether it is crumbling or not. Europe is not new to crises. Crises help political systems evolve. The present crisis may be helping to reshape Europe – which is what I believe is happening – or de- stroy it. Time alone will tell…" Interview Last weekend's election in Greece seems to indicate a widening gulf between European institutions, and an often disenchanted and frustrated European population. Roderick Pace, director of the Institute of European Studies, looks at the implications for the EU Dream' crumbling?