More than twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, European leaders seem to be reviving the same divisive and isolationist policies they have spent two decades criticising. The Europeans’ self-centred approach remains steadfast: ‘Us first’. But this raises the question: who exactly is ‘us’? And do Europeans themselves have an answer?
The global admiration for European unity—a model of cooperation long envied by others, particularly the chaotic Arab world—has not been enough to save the project from self-inflicted damage. Following a series of crises that emerged during and after the global financial meltdown, including the eurozone, Greek, and Irish crises, Europe now finds itself stumbling into dangerous decisions. These choices risk pulling the continent back into the discriminatory, economic, and social turmoil that characterised much of its political, economic, and religious history.
As European non-governmental organisations—many of which have already been shuttered—debate what remains of the European Union after successive crises, governments appear to be retreating from their promises. Public commitments to social and health protections have been quietly abandoned, with Britain, in particular, facing European criticism. Some have even called for Britain to leave the Union following its recent decisions to dismantle long-standing social programmes fought for by generations of activists and politicians.
Amid this backdrop, Greece has announced a decision that seems likely to take effect soon, despite a notable lack of official condemnation. The economically embattled country has resolved to play the role of border guard at the Union’s eastern edge, unveiling plans to construct a 128-mile wall along its border with Turkey. This measure, ostensibly designed to protect Europe from unwanted migrants, has been described by Greece as the only solution to safeguard what some have termed the Union’s ‘weakest border’.
Greece’s interior minister has defended the move, stating: ‘Greece’s patience has run out!’
British newspapers have compared this wall to the one along the US-Mexico border, which cost Americans $1.6 billion to keep Mexicans out. Other publications have drawn parallels with the infamous Berlin Wall, calling this a modern-day equivalent.
While Greece may succeed in reducing the number of migrants entering the eurozone—by as much as 128,000 annually, according to some estimates—the joke circulating in London asks: what if the Greeks succeed in their regressive endeavour, provided they themselves remain on the other side of the wall?
This article is originally published by AlBorsa in Arabic and later AI-translated by South Push.