[salt&pepper] Before the War

www.euobserver.com BRUNO KAUFMANN - In order to be ready for such windows of opportunities in transnational politics we have to be ready to go beyond the surface of politics offered to us by "our leaders", political parties and much of the media.

EUOBSERVER / SALT&PEPPER - With just a days and hours before - as US President announced on the Azores yesterday - "the End of Diplomacy and the Start of the first War in the 21st Century" it is time to reflect on the state of Global and European politics. The announced war in the Gulf region is the expression of a of a very big problem: too much of brachial power (weapons and finances) are gathered in too few hands. Finally this has also been realized on the other side of the Atlantic. "What really has the insiders panicked", comments the Herald Tribune on the weekend, "is the irresponsibility of Bush and his team, their almost childish unwillingness to face up to problems that they don't feel like dealing like now".

Fast food politics But "Bush and his team" is of course not alone. Independently of the stand you may take, the War politics "on Terrorism" offers a big dose of black-and-white, good-and-bad, we-and-them ingredients. Ingredients, which in a world of superficial, fast-food politics and media are essential. What seems to work on a world stage can also be seen on a European level and in the political debates of many countries.

I want to give you an example from country, in which I spent the last couples of days: Finland. Here the citizens elected yesterday a new countrywide parliament. Out of this 200-seat-assembly a new government will be elected next week. A government, which will have an important voice and vote in the next Intergovernmental conference of the EU on the Constitution. Similar to Bush, who yesterday underlined "the importance of the UN for world peace", the Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen stated on Sunday the "need for a broad citizens debate on the European constitution". But as little Bush have done for the empowerment of the UN, Lipponen seems willing to give his citizens a say on the future of Europe.

In the campaign up to yesterday’s vote Lipponen never addressed the big European challenges coming up, nor did his main opponent of the Centre party, Anneli Jääteenmäki (her party became the biggest on Sunday) indicate anything about her preferences or goals in European politics. Both Lipponen and Jääteenmäki underlined instead that the elections were about "choosing the leader" and giving them an open mandate to do what she or her is the "morally right thing" - as Tony Blair would express it.

It is not enough to just elect leaders Both Bush and Lipponen shows us: it is not enough to elect leaders. And it is not enough to have an international "community", which is based on international governmental cooperation. What we have to work for is to establish democratic structures on a trans-national level too. Developing and agreeing (by referendums in all member states) on a European constitution is a necessary but not sufficient step. We need further a truly reformed UN in which small and big states have an equal say and which also the peoples of our world are represented by a directly elected assembly.

Days or just hours before another "Bush War" all this goals seems to be light years away. However, it could be that when a few try to force the many to follow their will, the many will not accept this longer - and changes are coming faster than we may believe today. In order to be ready for such windows of opportunities in trans-national politics we have to be ready to go beyond the surface of politics offered to us by "our leaders", political parties and much of the media. What politicians like Bush, Blair or even Lipponen are offering and delivering is by far not enough, not seldom even counter productive - it is now time to become "producers" of politics ourselves!

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BRUNO KAUFMANN - is a peace- and conflict researcher, radio journalist and president of the Initiative & Referendum Institute Europe in Amsterdam. Website: www.iri-europe.org.

Website Initiative and Referendum Institute Europe

Written by Bruno Kaufmann Edited by Honor Mahony