Stimulating discussions in Brussels
The writer Robert Menasse argues for an open Europe.
EUROPEAN MESSAGE. Ordinary citizens often give “Eurocracy” short shrift. A large civil service machine, complicated regulations from Brussels and an ambiguous distribution of powers are just three of the many prejudices people have against the European Union. The Austrian author Robert Menasse also had his reservations when he set off for Brussels to become better acquainted with the EU and its institutions. However, he was surprised to find an effective bureaucracy, highly qualified public officials and an open and stimulating culture of debate. Menasse would also like to see that in the individual nation states, from which he expects greater commitment to the European ideal. In a long essay entitled Der Europäische Landbote (Zsolnay Verlag), Menasse presents his views and appeals for “the invention of a new, post-national democracy”. Especially in Germany, Menasse’s work has received a great deal of praise from reviewers. It has also won major literary prizes. In its justification for the award of the Heinrich Mann Prize, the Berlin Academy of Art emphasized that Menasse had “convincingly refuted the accusation that intellectuals had nothing more to say about Europe”.
