Michael Inkpin-Leissner, a Labour Councillor for Brighton and Hove is still a German National. In his view recent contributions to the discussions about the EU referendum hit rock bottom with Boris Johnson comparing EU policies to Hitler’s way of conquering Europe. Here are his thoughts:
With Boris Johnson’s comparison of EU policies to Hitler’s a new low point in the discussion about whether the UK should leave the EU or not is reached. In general I find it rather painful to observe how negative and very often immature the discussion about the EU membership of the UK has become. As I am in general a very positive character I would like to contribute positive thoughts to this ongoing discussion. I am proud to be an elected Councillor of our city, which resembles a little melting pot of Europe and the EU, in fact of the world.
In my arguments I shall focus on communities and European ideals that we all share, I believe. It is not all about economy, free movement and fear of foreigners.
You might say, I am a bit biased, as I am a German national. Possibly there is some truth in it as European law gave me the opportunity to stand as Council candidate for this city and gave me the chance of honouring the positive welcome and being included in my chosen home of Coldean Village and giving something back.
This discussion should be about European ideals and not about misguided arguments just to achieve a political point: let us think more about European ideals, humanism and values.
People outside the EU do not have a problem defining what Europe is. People in the MAIDAN in the Ukraine were dying with the word Europe on their lips. Europe – their dream!
The philosopher Voltaire described Europe in 1751 as follows:
“… a kind of great republic, divided into several states, some monarchial, the others mixed, but all corresponding with one another. They all have the same religious foundation, even if divided into several confessions. The have all the same principles of public law and policies,…”.
This is quite accurate even by nowadays standards.
But there was also a lot of war. Let us remember that just over 50 years ago and in a way that our European forefathers and advocates of a united Europe like Charlemagne, Voltaire, William Penn and William Gladstone could only dream of, a united Europe became reality and this despite many wars: civil wars, French against Germans, British against Italians, Czechs against Poles, Serbs against Austrians, Spaniards against Spaniards, not to forget the two world wars.
Many of the older Generations wondered in 1945 if they would ever see Europe again in any state of grace or glory, much less unified. The great Winston Churchill stated clearly – despite BREXIT supporters deforming his statements – only the United States of Europe would prevent further destruction of Europe. He was not alone in his beliefs, as we know.
This commitment together with values developed out of Christianity, humanity and the European enlightenment made it possible to build a stable Europe within only 40 years. Even the USA needed 90 years to achieve this.
These values led to a market with social responsibility and a united, but diverse community of states, working in solidarity with each other and supporting each other not only economically but also morally when things go wrong.
For me the EU stands for hope, for peace, for a safe future for our children, as a guarantor of Human Rights. How deep this feeling runs in most EU citizens was shown by a Belgian woman who said right after the terror attacks in Brussels: “Life goes on. We will not have our ideals and way of life being destroyed by terrorists. We will keep on living as we choose in Europe.” And that is what Europe and the EU is about! That is how a huge majority think in our City of Brighton and Hove.
Europe and the EU are not first and foremost a political concept or a financial convenience as many campaigners state their arguments. It is an ideal. Thus it will never be complete. We will work at it all our lives as will future generations. And this was definitely not what Hitler intended with Europe. Boris Johnson and, to be frank, Conservative Councillor Robert Nemeth who defended Mr. Johnson’s statement on twitter should apologise to all European nations.
I invite you to see Europe and the European Union as the gentle wing abiding where “all people become brothers”, the central message of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy.
I urge all who have the right to vote in the referendum to vote that the British stay as brothers in the EU and not as very distant cousins like the USA outside or become a Little Britain, to quote former Prime Minister John Major.
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