That the European single market could become fragmented is a possible danger that must be guarded against, for otherwise the European project would disintegrate. This is what is presently being emphasized. One way by which this could happen is if state aids are allowed in a big way and governments start subsidizing their national companies.

There is good reason for matters to be seen in such a light. The historical record is of centuries during which European countries sought to give support to their national industries by protecting them in many ways from outside competition. Which rendered them slack and lazy when facing the challenges of the future. To keep going they would produce at a high cost and sell at a high price to the detriment of consumers.

It is true that with the removal of protection and subsidies, the single European market has modernised and undergone huge improvements. The anti-state aid callsign has by now become dominant.

I believe that actually it’s being taken too far. There are still situations where state aids make great sense. Such as in the ongoing efforts towards a “green” transformation -- the so-called Green Deal. I cannot see how it will succeed without state aid.                  

***

POLITICAL MEMORIES

The manner by which we remember the political developments that occurred during our lifetime depends a lot on the opinions and beliefs we held when they were occurring. I have experienced the following quite a number of times: with persons whom I worked with in the past and who went through the same events that I did, I share memories that are clear, strong and very similar.

But when I then compare them with those of other friends who disagree almost totally with my views and who also witnessed the same events, the picture is very different. For the latter, the only aspects that exist would be those which show in a bad light the approaches that my colleagues and I had backed. What we then considered was important in a given situation, for them was them was simply inexistent.

In all this, I doubt whether the problem is one of some bad faith on either side. The way by which we consider and understand the events we go through depends almost entirely on the beliefs that we hold to.

***

EUROCENTRIC

The belief that Europe has values and a way of life that are exemplary is widely shared within European fora, not least those of the EU. From the outside, those who would like to be friends with Europeans or who need their support, will take care to praise highly their values and way of life. Given the eurocentric attitudes that dominate European institutions, such praise is accepted as a self-evident tribute.

Yet there are many on the outside, who consider Europe to be a fountainhead of hypocrisy. They recall how the imperialist projects that were launched to exploit other regions all originated in Europe. They claim that what Europeans are mostly concerned about is the safeguarding of their interests. They note how a substantial part of the economic wealth enjoyed by Europeans was sourced in other continents which they exploited – and, in their view, this is still the case today.  They argue that Europeans stress the virtues of democracy to others, only for as long as political and economic factors that might affect their interests negatively do not intrude.