To Reinvent or to Forget? Why Should We Reinvent Central Europe?
Written by Ferenc Miszlivetz
Thursday, 20 July 2006
The notion of public good has fallen to pieces in Hungary. In order to reestablish it, to draw up a new social contract, we need to encourage new patterns of behaviour and employ new techniques. This is the essence of the movement called 'Reinventing Central Europe'.
The European Union has been going through a crisis. It has lost its dynamism and can only strengthen its competitiveness and increase economic and social cohesion if the member states, regions, local governments and, not least, activist groups of local societies strive to achieve these aims. Not all public figures seem to have understood this in our country. It is only in a new spirit that new forms and methods of cooperation can achieve success.
The various actors in the European construction ought to share a holistic vision even if, at the same time, the reality and possibilities are constantly changing in response to enlargement. While competing, they need to seek new opportunities for the necessity of cooperation. Within the new framework of cooperation, they will have to adopt to a new rhythm of institutional and social transformation. None of this is possible if the patterns of thought and action, characteristic of the era of nation state, are not overcome. The twenty-five member states, and their well-known differences, will obviously not cooperate in everything all the time. It would be naive to think so. However, a small or medium-size country is clearly unable to secure its interests alone in a club of such size. One of the main driving forces of the European Union was, even before the Eastern enlargement, the regional or even international lobbying power and negotiating capacities of individual groups of countries.
It is time, therefore, for the newly joined countries, namely the eastern part of Central Europe, to discover the possibility of regional cooperation and mobilize all those positive elements of their past which may strengthen this new cooperation. In order for the EU to become a successful global actor and for the integration process to continue satisfactorily, and for the new member states to view themselves as individually and collectively successful, Central Europeans need to invent Central Europe.
Rediscovery does not mean a return to the past and I do not intend to suggest a nostaligic escape. Nevertheless, certain historical frames of cooperation and coexistence exist to lead us out of the trap. > Continuation: Page 2: Reinventing Central Europe
Conférence 'Italie/Europe: La démocratie en danger' avec Beppe Grillo, 6 février 2010 - Paris Marianne Ranke-Cormier, directrice de publication de Newropeans Magazine présente Franck Biancheri, président de Newropeans, un des pères fondateurs du programme Erasmus et directeur de recherche de LEAP2020.
2010 bis 2020: Gold erringt K.O.-Sieg über den DollarThursday, 04 February 2010 | Leap/E2020Die US-Zentralbank ist nicht mehr in der Lage, ihren Jahrzehnte langen Kampf gegen Gold unter dem Schlagwort vom „Überbleibsel aus barbarischen Zeiten“ führen, mit dem die alles überragende Stellung des Dollars im internationalen Währungssystem... Weiter lesen
[Conferenza] LA DEMOCRAZIA IN PERICOLO - Italia - Europa - I cittadini resistonoThursday, 04 February 2010 | Newropeans
Il bisogno di democrazia in Europa è sempre più forte. Le forze democratiche tentano di ridurre i nostri diritti impedendoci di poter scegliere liberamente mantenendo così al potere, nei nostri paesi e sul nostro continente, un élite corrotta... Legga più
Kapuscinski: ritratto e autoritratto di un esploratore di animeThursday, 04 February 2010 | Damiano Mazzotti “Kapuscinski. Opere” è la meravigliosa biografia del più grande reporter di guerra (1932-2007), con la raccolta degli scritti più preziosi e “magici” di uno dei più grandi interpreti di culture (Mondadori, 2009). Legga più
Página española
Zapatero, Galeano y HaitíThursday, 04 February 2010 | Alberto Montero SolerMientras la comunidad internacional alerta sobre la ocupación militar estadounidense de Haití realizada bajo la excusa de la ayuda humanitaria, al presidente Zapatero no se le ocurre otra cosa que decir en el Parlamento Europeo que “ver... Lea el artículo
[Europese gedachten] De schijndemocratie van het burgerintiatiefThursday, 04 February 2010 | Chris AalbertsBinnenkort begint eindelijk de Europese directe democratie. In het verdrag van Lissabon is de mogelijkheid van een burgerinitiatief opgenomen: burgers kunnen een voorstel doen aan de Europese Commissie om een wetsvoorstel te maken op een bepaald... Lees meer
Het kost een paar centen.... Thursday, 04 February 2010 | Veronique SwinkelsVolgens de Brusselse professor Matthijs hebben wij in Nederland het op een na duurste koningshuis van de wereld. Alleen de Britse koningin leeft op grotere voet. ... Of we goedkoper uit zouden zijn met een President is natuurlijk ook maar de vraag.... Lees meer
The three post-war scenarios regarding EU-US relations
On March 17th 2003, seven years ago, on the eve of the US invasion of Iraq, Franck Biancheri published three scenarios attempting to describe the war's possible consequences. Among the three he qualified one as most likely to happen. Because of its striking anticipation of what is indeed happening today, we have decided to put it online again. Upon whom will the ashes of Baghdad fall down?The three post-war scenarios regarding EU-US relations
292 - 5 millions - 2 milliardsThursday, 21 January 2010
292 morts, plus de 5 millions de personnes vaccinées au 1er janvier… et une facture de 2 milliards d’euros. Tel est le coût estimé de 3 mois de... + Full Story
We all are Icelanders, fed up to pay for the banks failures! In any case, to prove that all Europeans are not like the British and Dutch governments, Newropeans is launching a petition called « We all are Icelanders, fed up with paying for banks failures» and aiming at gathering popular support for the Icelandic resistance to the current outrageous 'financial order'.
► SIGN HERE
Nous sommes tous des Islandais, ras le bol de payer pour les banquiers! Pour prouver que tous les Européens ne sont pas à l'image des gouvernements britannique et néerlandais, Newropeans lance la pétition "Nous sommes tous des Islandais, ras le bol de payer pour les banquiers! " pour rassembler un soutien populaire à la résistance des Islandais à l'inique "ordre financier" actuel. ► SIGNEZ LA PETITION ICI
The notion of public good has fallen to pieces in Hungary. In order to reestablish it, to draw up a new social contract, we need to encourage new patterns of behaviour and employ new techniques. This is the essence of the movement called 'Reinventing Central Europe'. 
The three post-war scenarios regarding EU-US relations
