Interview with David Batalha, 27, Portuguese, Asset Manager.
Question: What comes to your mind when you think about the EU?
David: The first thing is: Great Project! the idea of improving living standards for almost 500 million people, offering opportunities to all social and economic agents, makes it one of the most brilliant, but also complex, projects of the last and present century.
Question: At the moment, what opinion do you think people have of the EU?
David: I think the range of opinions about EU are very wide. There are so many different cultures and traditions that make it impossible to have similar opinions. Generally I think people see the EU as a positive and necessary development project of our time.
Question: What fears do your people have of the EU?
David: The main fear in my opinion is loss of there own identity. This fear grows bigger the smaller and less developed the country is.
Question: When applicable, were the TV debates on the need for your country to access the EU controversially discussed?
David: Portugal accessed in 1986, I’m sorry but I don’t think this question is applicable to me, as at the time I wasn’t even 7 years old.
Question: If you read the media, how is the relationship between your country and bigger countries like Germany and France? And what do you think?
David: The relation is positive and respectful, and in accordance to the main goals of the EU; I congratulate my present and passed governors for their position and positive contribution to the maintanance of the relationships between EU countries. I don’t distinguish between countries, we are 27 countries who all have a role to play in this project.
Question: What would be your worst idea about the EU?
David: The collapse of the project.
Question: Do you know how the EU works?
David: I would say that I think I know the main guidelines, and I try to keep informed about the development of the project.
Question: If I told you that about 70% of the new laws in your country come from Brussels, would that be ok for you?
David: Definitely yes, that is a main procedure to achieve the goal of EU integration.
Question: Keeping the last questions in mind, what do you think about the role of your national parliament? The MPs are elected by the people and they speak your language, don't you think that they should be the ones who make the major part of the law here? In other words, what do you think about the fact that the majority of the laws that are affecting you life are taken on the European level?
David: I think “Europe”, I elected my Portuguese representatives for the European Parliament, and so I feel comfortable with the laws made at a European level.
Question: Do you think there should be more information about how the European institutional system works (as it has a big impact on our life but we don't know how it even works)?
David: I think that the problem is not the quantity of information, but the way it gets to people. I think that one of the problems is the diversity of people, it’s very difficult to be able to inform all of them in a way which they all understand.
Question: According to you, what should the EU focus on? And why the EU should itself deal with it?
David: In my opinion the EU should focus on raising living standards for citizens. Dealing with this itself will help make the process easier, and will avoid potential conflicts between the 27 members.
Question: Do you think that it is important to have a Europe as one entity in the world or do you think it's better to have strong States who cooperate together?
David: I think that we should get the best of both. Sometimes it is important to have a strong “block” as an entity, sometimes, for example for historical reasons, it is better to dissociate this idea and simply have a group of strong states. We should take advantage of all possible synergies.
Question: Would you like the EU to become a federal State?
David: Asked like this, I would say no. That would create a inflexible status for the EU, which could at some point create problems.
Question: What about a European army?
David: Given that almost all the members belong to organisations such as the UN or NATO, and considering our geographical localisation, I don’t think that it should be a priority for the moment.
Question: Should there be a common language in the EU?
David: I don’t think so, there are several good examples of developed countries that have more than one official language, and it doesn’t create many problems for them. (E.g.: Canada, Switzerland or Belgium)
Question: Do you believe that there is a limit to the development of the EU? If yes, how to know where that limit is?
David: Probably there is, but I think that at the moment the limit is far from being reached, many improvements can be accomplished within the actual format. “knowing where the limit is”, is probably the most difficult of all these questions, so I would prefer to answer that as usual history, will take care to show us where the limit is.
Question: Do you think this is worth the adventure? Do you think the whole development is too fast?
David: Definitely, yes it is worth it. If I look back, and compare to today, I think that we Europeans, are doing the right things and well.
Question: One says that you tend not to care about something as long as it’s not related to money. Do you think that setting up a European tax would raise the people's interest in the EU or it would only be another step towards a United States of Europe-like structure?
David: As I said in the last answer, I think we are doing the right things and we should remain like that. Not that I have anything against the US, but my experience has shown me that we have a different social and cultural matrix from US. In my opinion interest in the EU project is proven every day by the majority of European people. Tax can make sense but never because of the reason stated in the question.
Question: According to you, is the EU too bureaucratic?
David: I would say yes, but it’s understandable looking to our social and cultural matrix. In my opinion it will be one of the most difficult issues to change.
Question: Would you say that the EU is democratic?
David: Positively, one of the most democratic places in the World.
Question: Last, but not least, what is the impact of the EU on your daily life?
David: The great thing is that I grow as the EU grows, so I simply don’t feel any impact. I feel like a European citizen. It’s like being Portuguese, I don’t feel any impact by being, I simply feel Portuguese.
