21 May

Why I’m in !

A few months ago, the UK Liberal Democrats sent round an online petition asking people to say in a few words why Britain is better off being part of the EU http://www.libdems.org.uk/.

Today, it’s not just the UK that threatens to leave the EU, it’s the whole of the EU that is under threat of dismantling. Yesterday, a colleague of mine seemed nonchalant about the extreme parties getting in on Sunday. Of course, no one admits voting for them, but people express more easily their suspicion as to whether it would actually make a difference if they were to get in. A sort of feeling of “I don’t actually care enough to do something about it” seems to be creeping in everybody’s mind… sufficiently for the extremes to possibly win.

Well, I do care enough. I even care very much about the matter. So with five days to go before the elections, I want to share with you why I’m in.

I was born and bred in France to an English mother and an Italian father. When asked whether I am British, Italian or French, I answer with confidence: “I am European”.

I believe in Europe because on the long term Europe is the only thing that makes sense. What will our children and grandchildren who will be the product of multinationals like me answer when asked what they are?

TheErasmus generation together with the opening up of the frontiers means that travelling from country to country is no longer such a big deal anymore and sharing of cultures and customs is more frequent.

Even for those who don’t travel that much, Europe is on their doorstep, in the shops, on the roads, in our homes. European legislations that aim to make Europe a safer place in every possible way regulate most of our everyday activities. The “why I am in” petition is a repertoire of all the successes of the European Union and of all the reasons why I believe in more Europe rather than less.

But even if it were not for all that, the greatest successes of the European Union are its ability to foster democracy across Europe and having prevented war from occurring on European soil for over 50 years.

And yes, that does matter a great deal. War is still part of a lot of people’s everyday lives and the case for democracy around the globe is still an ongoing fight in many countries. So I do not take those two successes flippantly.

As a scientist, I believe in Europe because it has fostered increased collaboration among Europeans. I believe the European Research Council together with the Framework Programmes and the upcoming Horizon 2020 programme are a success and have been good for science and for scientists.

Granted, the European Union is not perfect and there is a lot that could be better. But at least those people who are involved in it, who are fighting on a daily basis microscopic battles that wrongly no one knows or cares about, are trying their best. And if their best isn’t up to our expectations then we should support them in doing better.

That’s why I’m in. I’m in because I believe we can do better. I’m in because I am grateful there are people out there trying and I acknowledge that practice makes perfect.

So join me in voting for Europe on Sunday. Because more Europe is the promise of a better Europe.