Putin’s brutal war in Ukraine poses a fundamental question about the future of Europe and of humanity: Is positive change possible?
By Pieter Boeder
Changed times call for new forms of political action and communication. The values and solidarity that form Europe’s very foundation are under acute threat. Increasingly, Europe is surrounded by a group of autocratic states around the world that work in concert and support one another’s interests and agendas.
Not only do these rogue states continue to deliberately undermine democratic principles and societal foundations by obstructing the rule of law of European liberal democracies, they also vastly contribute to the root causes of migration—whether by exploitation, intimidation or direct warfare.
No matter how brutal, current turbulence is unlikely to rewire global power structures in the short tem. How, then, do we counter this ongoing attack on our values and win this war? The need of our time is united positive action, defending our freedom and our values while prioritising those who have nothing left to lose.
Professionalism is the only fruitful strategy to counter systematic disinformation. Multidimensional approaches must be more in sync with realities of the world. Practitioners could network more intensively, fostering a culture of sharing, in order to become more politically aware and responsible, more powerful.
We also need multidimensionality in geographical terms: Our European countries, the Brussels bubble included, each have their trademark strengths but also their peculiar weaknesses, rooted in the shared tradition of self-centredness from a world that no longer exists. We should do more to become one.
We can no longer pretend that we’re still living in the same Europe as last year, or that faraway places somehow matter less. These times call for new forms unity, political dialogue and bottom-up action. We’re all part of something larger than our egos, larger than our nation states. It is time for us to act accordingly.
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Pieter Boeder is a journalist and communication specialist based in Athens.