The European spirit

Le Regard Libre N° 52 - Clément Guntern

At the end of May, the European elections brought together citizens from all the countries of the European Union. Their task was to re-elect the European Parliament for a five-year term. What is it that binds these nations together? Here's a look at the European spirit.

Since their inception in 1979, the European elections and the European Parliament have been the target of various criticisms. The Parliament is criticized in particular for its chronic inability to influence European decisions and, above all, for its weakness relative to the European Council, the assembly of heads of state and government. Ultimately, the traditional criticisms of the institution have proven to be well-founded: it is merely a collection of national elections; there are neither debates on a European scale nor European-wide electoral lists.

On the other hand, many media outlets and commentators failed to note a strange phenomenon: the campaign waged by the Euroskeptic parties. Strangely enough, they were the ones who ran the most pro-European campaign of all: party leaders coordinated their efforts, adopted a more or less unified stance, and held international rallies. For them, it was a more pro-European campaign than for many pro-European parties.

Faced with this divide—perceived as one between pro-Europeans and Euroskeptics—the question arises of how unified the European community really is. What could possibly bring so many different countries and political parties together around a common idea? It is undeniable that each feels a sense of closeness to its neighbors from a cultural—and even identity-based—perspective. But to move from an idea or a feeling to a shared political project, much more is needed. Stefan Zweig summed up this problem by saying that a sense of European identity was not the primary concern among the peoples of Europe. A sense of community must grow among the people; the two signs of such a change—though still to be confirmed—are the slow Europeanization of the countryside and a rising voter turnout.

A Sketch of a Shared Spirit: Valéry

What unites these individuals and social groups, what connects them and brings them closer together, is this elusive European spirit. Countless thinkers have attempted to define this concept. An identity? A consciousness? Rather, a spirit—always in motion and constantly reshaping itself—something even more elusive than an identity. But what exactly is this European spirit? In French discourse, one author’s name is often mentioned: Paul Valéry. This early 20th-century thinker^th In the 19th century, in an essay on the European, he identifies three influences that must complement and combine with one another to produce the shared spirit in question.

Read also: A Europe of destiny

The first influence is that of Rome: wherever the Roman Empire ruled, wherever its power was felt and feared, and wherever its model of stability and organization was emulated and recognized, there lies a part of the European spirit. It is such a profound legacy of legal, military, and administrative thought that these principles remain alive even today. The second influence—necessary but not sufficient—is that of Christianity, which brings and imposes a unified moral code.

This definition begins here to exclude large parts of the world, particularly Russia, which is Christian but has never truly adopted Roman thought. Victor Hugo, in his speech on Europe, gave Russia the place he believed it deserved in the European spirit.

The final influence that allows one to call oneself European is that of ancient Greece: «This subtle and powerful force to which we owe the best of our intelligence, the subtlety and strength of our knowledge—just as we owe to it the clarity, purity, and distinction of our arts and literature.» In his view, this is the most significant aspect of the distinction between Europe and the rest of humanity.

Diversity

This view put forward by Paul Valéry, although widely cited and long accepted, is subject to controversy. As with any attempt at a definition of this kind, the boundaries are both rigid and vague; at what point does one become European? The problem lies more in the question than in the answer: there are no clear and indisputable boundaries. But what appears to be the weakest point in Valéry’s explanation is that it does not take into account what has happened between the Christianization of Europe and the present day. Admittedly, the foundations laid by Paul Valéry for defining the European spirit are solid, but they cannot fully capture it, simply because it has developed and transformed over time. In response to this idea of a threefold influence, we could propose three characteristics of the spirit that we consider to be the European spirit. A triptych whose characteristics would be necessary but not sufficient.

First and foremost, diversity strikes us as a fundamental issue. This small corner of the planet—cramped and situated at the edge of the continents—served as a receptacle, a dead end of the world. A large portion of the influences, creations, and ideas developed elsewhere—and which are constantly traveling from one kingdom to another, from one culture to another—have taken root in Europe. Sometimes obvious, sometimes so subtle that years of scientific research were needed to identify them, these influences are very much present in Europe. Compiling an exhaustive list would be an exceedingly tedious task.

We should also mention the role of Arab culture, which was present in Spain for centuries, as well as its scientific and philosophical contributions, which enabled European intellectuals to rediscover the thinkers of ancient Greece. Consider the influence of the Central Asian steppes on countries like Hungary, and that of China in technical fields such as printing and gunpowder. But the perspective shaped by classical studies of Greece and Rome has long overshadowed the foundational and profound role of pre-Roman cultures: the Celts throughout Europe, the Germanic peoples, and the Norse. Should we not also mention the decisive contribution of the United States, not only politically and democratically, but also economically?

In short, all these ideas and influences, these objects and cultures, have merged in the crucible of Europe—though unevenly distributed—to create a rich diversity within such a small territory. This diversity of cultures, nations, and languages forms a unique whole, unlike any other in the world, which has been built up over the centuries. The competition among projects and ideas is the result of this diversity; a certain intellectual emulation is its greatest treasure. It is these differences, brought together in this corner of the globe, that form part of the European spirit: the awareness—gained through exchange—that one’s almost immediate neighbor has a different way of being and thinking has inevitably contributed to the European spirit.

History

In no other region of the world is the sense of a long and eventful history felt as readily as in Europe. The weight of history seems to be the second defining characteristic of the European spirit. Indeed, the layers of ages, cultures, traditions, and buildings that have accumulated over time have formed an exceptional foundation. Europe’s history can be felt in every city and every corner of the countryside, provided one is attuned to it. Every place has a long and diverse history, and every new event can only be explained through the lens of history. Europe has never truly broken away from its history; we draw upon it, we use it, and we preserve it.

This is a unique quality that isn’t necessarily found elsewhere. The United States is a perfect counterexample. It’s very difficult, just by walking around, to feel the full influence and weight of history. We’re not saying that history doesn’t exist elsewhere, but the relationship with it is much less burdensome and systematic there. In Europe, it’s a reflex—or even a need—to refer to history or to want to break away from it. It’s like an inescapable fact that no one can ignore.

This sentiment exists elsewhere, but very often, despite all the richness that is present, history is not seen as an undeniable fact. Sometimes it is rejected, destroyed, or concealed. Admittedly, memory has sometimes faltered, but the omnipresent traces of our past have never disappeared. At times, it has been necessary to revive history and rekindle ideas. This ever-present history has not necessarily always been beneficial to the European spirit, as evidenced by hegemonic or nationalist projects. Nevertheless, history nourishes European culture through ideas, customs, and traditions, and no one can deny it in good faith or fail to take it into account..

Freedom

The final element that will bring it all together is the yearning for freedom and controversy. Despite all the political regimes the continent has known, the drive for freedom has never disappeared. It was this drive that led to the establishment of the Roman Republic, and it was this that the Germanic and Scandinavian peoples sought above all else. This desire—this need for freedom, not only physical but also intellectual—can be found throughout European history. Admittedly, it has by no means always triumphed, but the idea has endured.

Freedom as a concept has evolved over time; the Romans’ concept of freedom is not the same as ours, but they, like us, felt that need. In the Middle Ages, too, freedom was cherished: people sought it in the cities, but also in the first universities. It was there that the idea of freedom took shape, but so did the idea of controversy. Many struggles in Europe have been fought in the name of freedom: the wars of religion, the wars of independence, the fight against censorship, and the struggle for freedom of thought and the freedom to disseminate those ideas.

Revolutions marked the high point of this process, including England’s Glorious Revolution, which laid the foundation for European parliaments; the French Revolution, which challenged undue privileges; and the Russian Revolution, which sought to liberate the people. These explosive events were merely the culmination of centuries of ideas and thinkers—who were fought against and censored but who, gradually, emerged victorious. Religious freedom—so difficult to attain—free will, free enterprise, and so many other ideas that form the bedrock of democracy and liberty. In short, it was the aspiration for greater freedom that gave rise to liberal democracy, a pure product of the European spirit.

The combination of diversity, history, and freedom lays the foundation for what constitutes the European spirit. But can this model be exported, or is it firmly rooted in the land where it was born? The examples of the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand might suggest that the European spirit has taken root elsewhere in the world; these countries might seem like mere offshoots of Europe. Yet, even though many similarities exist, these cultures cannot truly be European far from the soil of Europe and its deeply rooted history. There is something missing—something less vibrant and, above all, roots that are not deep enough to produce such a diverse array of colors.

Write to the author: clement.guntern@leregardlibre.com

Image: © Drawing by Nicolas Locatelli for Le Regard Libre