The European Union consists of 28 member countries. As it eliminates border control between members, it allows free flow of goods. It preserves Europe’s shared cultural heritage. Language, literature, theater, cinema, dance, art, architecture – are all taken into attention. The union promotes not just the arts but projects that promote the environment as well as scientific research and development. Collectively, it creates a competitive global marketplace, while trying to balance the member needs between both politics and finances.
Image retrieved from: https://leosystem.travel/europe/what-is-european-culture/ Significant architecture from various countries who represent the European Union
Some of the positive effects from the union include good working relationships between member countries, some of which it helped modernize. From an economic perspective, it has helped to create new jobs and provided economic stability. Additionally, the union has helped form improved international security. It has created additional choices along with stable prices for the consumers.
On the downside, you have the whole Brexit situation. While the union can seem united, parts of the old divisions can still exist. Also, the election of the European Commission is not transparent. The free movement that the union has created has caused problems with overcrowding. In the United Kingdom specifically, the population is set to rise to 70 million over the next decade (Pettinger, 2020). This amount of growth will increase housing costs, lessen the supply and create additional traffic on the roads.
The Minuet by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo depicts The Carnival Scene
If one triumph can come out of the union is the attention bestowed upon the many levels of culture. It would be hard to mention all of the aspects, but I will focus on my personal favorite that I think may resonate with most anyone. Europeans like to celebrate and find any reason to enjoy a good festival or carnival – as do many Americans! They are filled with great food and drink while decorated with vibrant colors, dancing and music. The oldest of these is The Carnival of Venice, an annual event which dates back to 1162 and started as a military victory celebration. With an average attendance of three million people, the event is best known for the beautiful, elaborate masks people wear. I would absolutely love to get to this festival one year, how about you?
References:
European Neighbourhood Policy And Enlargement Negotiations. (2020). Retrieved 16 November 2020, from https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/node_en
Pettinger, T. (2020). Disadvantages of EU Membership – Economics Help. Retrieved 16 November 2020, from https://www.economicshelp.org/europe/disadvantages-eu/
The culture that connects us – Google Arts & Culture. (2020). Retrieved 17 November 2020, from https://artsandculture.google.com/project/europe-for-culture
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