The story says that Europe was abducted by Zeus in the form of a white bull, after which she happily gave birth to Minos and other characters of various relevance in the Iliad.

One should note that in the wonderful story of the European Union, it would be more accurate to compare the institution with the impulsive bull rather than the assaulted woman. The European project was mainly the work of political leaders and many European citizens are not happy with what it has become.

The recent attempt to mobilize “Europtimists” in an apolitical movement, Pulse of Europe, does not clearly show whether they are attached to the bull (the EU) or the woman (Europe). At the moment, Pulse of Europe seems merely to embody the fear Germans have that the institution that is now following their lead might be demolished by the next French president, as placards in Francfort or Munich say “Restez avec nous <3”.

But in fact, it will soon only benefit to Germany to stay in the EU and in the Euro zone if the founding treaties are not being revised. For instance, by having a democratic fiscal governance instead of a restrictive European Fiscal Compact, or by forcing the ECB to define uniform interest rates across countries. That is, by reintroducing people sovereignty and solidarity in Europe.

This supposes first refusing the neoliberal EU that prevails now, as the French Left argues*, but the vision is slightly different from that of the nationalists, whose project can be truly worrisome.

What is less worrisome, however, is that under the pressure of the nationalists, one will be forced to do better than the Eurovision Song Contest to build a true Europeanist movement. Great news.

(*) Already in 1999, Pierre Bourdieu was pleading for the same thing…