Compass of Freedom: Responsibility
Fundamental rights and freedoms are inextricably linked to the concept of responsibility. There is no freedom without responsibility. But there is also no responsibility without freedom. Whoever is not free cannot choose responsibility, because they must always follow commands and orders. Whoever is not willing to take on responsibility will also not be able to be free, because they always wait for someone else to dictate what they should do.
The political opposition here is not between ideologies of left and right, but between left-wing and right-wing paternalists on the one hand, and the proponents of law and freedom on the other.
Compass of Freedom: Constitutional State
In Greek mythology, Europa was a beautiful Phoenician princess. Zeus, the father of the Greek gods, transformed himself into a sweet-smelling bull to abduct Europa to Crete. There, they had several children together. Two of them went down in the history of Crete as the most just rulers because they respected the law. From this perspective, the rule of law indeed stands at the beginning of the European idea.
The task of the liberal constitutional state is to protect law and freedom. It is not the task of the constitutional state to enforce specific notions of happiness or welfare. Law and freedom are based on universally valid and abstract norms. The liberal constitutional state is thus the antithesis of all ideologies that seek to impose a very specific way of life on everyone.
Compass of Freedom: Identity
Another essential element of European identity is freedom. To quote Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi: “The European ideal is freedom – European history a single slow struggle for personal, spiritual, national, and social freedom. Europe will endure as long as it continues this struggle; as soon as it abandons this ideal and becomes untrue to its mission, it loses its soul, its meaning, its existence. Then its historical role is played out.”
European identity developed within a Christian culture that is formative for the continent. Europe is not a monolithic entity, but rather shapes its unity in diversity.
Compass of Freedom: Sovereignty
Europe must gain competence where this competence – for example, in foreign and security policy – can unfold sovereignty. This is precisely about the question of sovereignty that many national egoists so eagerly discuss. In this specific case, sovereignty means the ability to act and shape. A European foreign policy would, in terms of potential, bring a clear added value compared to a purely nation-state policy.
At the same time, the sovereignty of citizens, their ability to develop their freedom and responsibility again, must be strengthened. The paternalistic welfare state is not a concept for the future.
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