Europe as a trial to overcome national thinking

Today, the election of the European Parliament started. Reason enough to outline my desired Europe. Being grown up after the second world war and inspired by different journeys within Europe, I really feel like a member of a new, European generation. To me, the term European Union doesn't only mean the possibility to live and work anywhere in the Schengen area, but the overcoming of national thinking.Having said this, I'm very concerned, that Europe is right on the way to become and elite club, excluding the rest of the world: The Fortress Europe. As a interstation on the way to real global governance, Europe must not make the same mistakes of the national countries again, just on another level. Therefore, the success of the European projects depends on its ability to be open to the world and to take international responsibility.As on every stage, human rights and sustainability must be the main criteria of European politics. I support an Europe, which finally acknowledge the right on asylum as well as the freedom of torture and which stops any discrimination of whatever minority. I support a sustainable Europe, as well in economic as in ecological terms. Both the recent economic crisis and the ongoing climate crisis thought us, that the only reasonable way of living is a sustainable one.On that account I wish, that every European take advantage of her or his constitutional franchise and vote for a party which stands for the values mentioned above.An alle deutsche: Leute, wählt Grün. Welche partei bitte sonst hat eine stimmige antwort auf die probleme der zeit? Die CDU steht für nationalstaat, abschottung und überwachung, die FDP für den komplett gescheiterten (und zerstörerischen) neoliberalismus. Der linkspartei ist vielleicht noch am ehesten nachhaltiges handeln zuzutrauen, aber die einzige konsequenz ihrer extremen europaskepzis ist eine renationalisierung der politik. Wäre noch da noch die SPD.Wirkt nicht gerade erfrischend progressiv, aber man begeht sicher auch keinen großen fehler, die zu wählen. Und eben die Grünen: Die haben nicht nur mit Ska Keller, Franziska Brantner und Jan Philipp Albrecht die einzigen deutschen kandidaten unter 30 (und damit die Generation Europa) auf aussichtsreichen plätzen, sondern bieten u.a. mit dem Green New Deal einen progressiven entwurf für das Europa von morgen.

financial crisis leads to a shift to the left in Iceland

Yesterday, general elections in Iceland took place. Good news, for several reasons. First of all, with Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, the first openly gay politician in the world was elected as the head of state. This is another step forward in the social acceptance of gays.Secondly, the left parties - Samfylkingin (the Social Democratic Allegiance)  and Vinstrihreyfingin – grænt framboð (the left-green movement) - won the overall majority in the Alþingi, the oldest running parliament in the world. Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn, the Independence Party who stands for the neoliberal policy with led into the devastating financial crisis. With a increase of 5 seats, the Greens were the big winner of the elections. Congratulations.These results are very interesting, as the Icelandic elections are the first general elections in a western European country in the light of the financial crisis.  Though the impact of Iceland on European politics are clearly limited, one hopes, that these results marks a turning point. That people realise, that the conservative parties in Europe, who stands for radical open markets messed up both economy and environment. And that the only reasonable conclusion is to vote for parties, which advocate sustainability.So there's hope for coming election, like for the EP in June or the German Bundestag in September