Brexit leaves the idea that this is just the begging of a process in which the European Union is being disintegrated into pieces, country by country. This is not true, but there is a clear separatist agenda from private interests that uses the channel of extremist far-rights political parties to “smash” current structure that is clearly opposite for their biased goals. However, there have reasons to argue against the Union: financial, economically and mainly politically. Because of a wrong management and a poor leadership it has become a never end error chain on in-depth decisions and elitist proposals. Global financial crisis has just exposure those failures and when institutions are weak and leaders are not determinate to work against vulnerabilities is when the system collapses. Anti- integrationist has never had a better moment that now and is using it in the most brutal way: manipulating citizen’s needs and political goals.

Is not a coincidence that anti-Europeans are also anti-globalists that look for breaking current status quo and impose models that are more flexible on financial regulation and institutional rules. By the contrary, the more united we are the more guarantees we have and give less room for corruption and biased interests. Its just a matter of logics: supranational represents a threat only for those who needs lax legal framework for applying their extremist ideologies or enough freedom for their financial business (e.g. hedge funds).

Particular interests like racism and xenophobia surprisingly slip into this debate trying to look like an essential piece for development and for boosting resilience. Is in this line that the burkini ban in France is seeing as a society threat and an attempt to individual freedom in a clear intention to develop Islamophobia´s feelings. This is another opportunity for far-right movements that decided to take burkini as the symbol of destruction and a reason to “assure security to French citizens”. The way Muslim women dress could never be considered a threat, at the most the government would assure that when use it in Europe their individual freedom is fully guaranteed. Although without interfere in their cultural habits. If not, is it just another way to condemn Muslims around the world and force them to live from Europe. Not in vain far-right groups are anti-globalist searching for a Frexit and promoting racism and xenophobia are transforming the use of the burkini in a national threat.

We fully agree that current model of globalisation and the European Union as an institution, is not working. The financial crisis exposures their political weakness and shows that there is a need to reshape both models at the same time and from a different perspective. That means a new focus and new leaders under different financial rules and political standards. Having as a main goal creating a resilient and attractive system for their members.

A new political vision means stop digging in the same standards around a decadent political class and innovate also -and mainly- in the political structure and its focus. Is precisely a poor political leadership that is leading the European Union into pervert forms of pseudo-ideologies that are a disguise of classic extremism.

A renewed vision means work better and deeper in the active participation of the civil society as owners of the process not at the service of the political class. Is in this sense and sadly that Brexit has not become an exercise of democracy but only a manipulated maneuver by private interests and far-right goals.

Is imperative to build a brand new political class and leaders able to struggle against a failed classic political model consisting in: not updated ideologies of left & right wing that leave an empty space taken by extremist political parties.

Structural reforms -by the contrary of leaders like Trump, Farage or Le Pen- needs to be sustained in a better and different integration. More regulation and control is the answer to get out of this devastated crises time. The EU is not just an economic-financial model is it also an identity and cultural aspects need to be addressed. The complexity of all this interconnected process makes conclude that a referendum will not resolve national threats by the contrary will get worse. Is very simplistic to address the negative aspects of an institutional model in crises by an exit, mainly when there are not alternative and tangible models to resolve the conflicts that will come after being without the safety net of the Union. United we are strong to face crises, not “divide et impera”. This focus is the one that shows a hidden far-right agenda that doesn´t tend to search for more resilient but to get to their project for isolationism, less EU regulation, racism and xenophobia

Actors of the civil society, political class and leaders: innovate in a new political model, for a reshaped European Union!

We are on time…. the train hasn´t left yet..

*Antwerpen Train Station.