Qui di seguito riportiamo un articolo elaborato da una nostra partecipante dello scambio Solidarity First: development of an united society implementato lo scorso mese. Il suo nome è Mirela Kenova e viene dalla Bulgaria.
European values
Why are the European values so important? What are they? What is the point of having them? Olli Rehn who was a member of the European Commission once said “ I am often asked where Europe’s ultimate borders lie. My answer is that the map of Europe is defined in the minds of Europeans.Geography sets the frame, but fundamentally it is values that make the borders of Europe. Enlargement is a matter of extending the zone of European values, the most fundamental of which are liberty and solidarity, tolerance and human rights, democracy and the rule of law.”
So maybe those values are so important because they help us define what even is Europe and
what is one of the most important things a country needs to be a part of the European Union.
So the European values as mentioned previously are liberty, solidarity, tolerance and human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
Let’s clear the meaning of each one of those words according to the EU. First- liberty. The European Commission states that everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. This means, for example, that you are protected from unlawful or arbitrary arrest or detention.
And solidarity? How would one define this word that is so close to sympathy? Solidarity is a concept which states that it is fair and just that benefits and obligations are justly shared between members of the society.The concept of ‘EU solidarity’ is often used by European leaders in times of crisis to call for cooperation between EU member states and justify joint decision-making.
Human rights deserve a topic of their own but the most basic ones are the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination and tolerance is the respect for those human rights.
Democracy is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives and It’s how member states and the EU function.
If you don’t know what it is, the Rule of Law is every action taken by it is founded on treaties
approved voluntarily and democratically by all EU member countries. All new countries joining the EU must also respect the rights and obligations enshrined in: the European Convention on Human Rights.
So now that we know what are the European values and why they are so important we can clearly see that the point of having them is to guide and define the European union.
Active Youth for Europe 