Current Challenges for the Future Transformation of the EUdr. Žiga Turkprofessor, University of Ljubljana, SloveniaSecretary General, Reflection Group on the Future of EU, Brussels.

Disclaimerthe views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the organizations he is affiliated with

Contentswe living in the virtual and borrowing from the futurethere are real and current challenges: A,B,C,Dcan we go on?we can rely on 3 resourcesand match them to the challenges

Our civilization is loosing touch with the real and with the present

We increasingly live in the virtual worlds of the Internet …

We live in the media “reality”

We watch spin-umentariesnot doc-umentaries

We are borrowing from the future

… borrowing to live beyond our means.

… borrowing profits.

… borrowing resources.

… borrowing capacity to absorb CO2.

… borrowing from future taxpayers.

While we should try to make go with the real and the present and reward it!

Crisis was a warning that we can not sustain blowing the bubblessome people and states living beyond their meansfinancial markets not investing in new but changing the price of the olddetaching itself from the real economyprice hikes of oil returned the sense of realitywhich spread to other sectors

But there are challenges deeper than the crisisA – abundance, conceptual economyB – BRICS, globalizationC – climate changeD – demographyABCD

(A) We can not sustain our industrial, consumptioneconomy

(B) We can not sustain our dominant role in the world

(C) We can not sustain the climate

(D) We are not sustaining the population

ABCDare historicA – end of industrial, information age, dawn of conceptual economy (19th century)B – end of the dominance of the west (15th century)C – end of below ground energy and fossil fuelsD – end of GDP growth pattern linked to population growth

“The trouble with our times is … … that the future is not what it used to be.” Paul Valery (French Poet, Essayist and Critic, 1871-1945)

So can we go on?

Yes!

Because a key element of our civilization is values, innovation and creativity … of the people

In fact, we have three resourcesthe peoplethe sunthe Union

People’s hearts, their values, their care, the right side brain

People’s Minds, the rationality, the left side brain

The sun

The union

peoplesunTo be more specificrely on European values and care for nature and fellow humanstep up R&D in new renewable energy technology and energy efficiencyenergy efficiency now and overhaul of EU energy production by 2050use the added value of the unionsize and power of the common marketeconomy of scalesynergies of r&dimpact in member statesimpact in the world union

In conclusionwe must get back to realityAbundance,BRICs,Climate ChangeDemographyare the key challenges of the futurein Europe we have thepeoples hearts and mindsthe sunand the tools of the European Unionto address themwe must change lanes now!

“When it comes to your future there is no time like the present!”BNP Paribas ad.

Acknowledgementsphotos:Google photo search, Flickrcharts:Erste Bank, Stanford University, WEO, IMF, NASA more information, author contact atwww.zTurk.com