May 9 is Europe Day. The European Union celebrates. "Happy Birthday, Europe."

We should remember that for forty years, since 1981, money has been flowing into Greece from the European Union. And yet some still continue to wage war against the EU.

The danger, of course, does not come from the EU but from the East, that is, from Turkey. It comes from a Turkey of seventy million people which, over the last twenty years, has taken off economically and is trying to play a decisive regional role.

If we do not adapt to reality, and if we do not understand the dangers surrounding us, we will keep boiling in our own juice and matters may become worse.

Some wonder: what is the European Union doing, and why does it not protect us? The tragic thing is that these people are mainly the very people who fight the EU. They are the ones who do not want to transfer authority to the EU. They are the ones who do not want Greece's borders to also be Europe's borders.

Is it really logical to insult and fight someone and at the same time, when you are in danger, ask for that person's help? And even complain because they do not help you?

We should clarify that all member states transfer part of their national sovereignty to the EU. Otherwise no union can exist, from a small association all the way to the United Nations.

By transferring part of its state power to the EU, a country does not lose but gains. It gains strength, because there is strength in union. In this way it can face various problems better. This applies above all to small and weak states such as Greece.

Times have certainly changed. Today space and time have shrunk. As for space, the whole world is a small village, a global village. The planet Earth itself is just a grain of sand in the universe. If the Earth is a grain of sand, then what is Greece? In addition, in today's globalized capitalism, the movement of persons, goods, services, and capital knows no boundaries.

When the European Union of twenty-seven states and roughly 450 million people struggles to compete with the other economic powers of the planet, can Greece of ten million stand alone? Do we perhaps not have a clear perception of reality? Greece is certainly a country with history and brilliant culture, but today it is a small and indebted country of Europe.

Outdated ideas and ideologies therefore harm our thinking and, by extension, our lives. When everything around us changes with frightening speed, why do some insist on what they once learned? It is certainly difficult to unlearn, but if they do not follow the course of life, they will find themselves at the margins. Whoever does not adapt is lost. The word adaptation is key for those who want to live better and win the future.

If all this is correct, then regardless of our ideology and preferences we should praise Constantine Karamanlis, who brought us into what was then the EEC and is now the European Union. We should also thank Costas Simitis, who brought us into Economic and Monetary Union and also brought Cyprus into the EU. Can anyone imagine what Turkey would do if Cyprus were not in the EU?

Political union within the EU has certainly not yet advanced to the degree that would also secure our borders. Yet some steps are being taken. One example is the European Border and Coast Guard, FRONTEX, which patrols Europe's borders.

While some struggle for the political unification of the EU, others fight against that unification. Even so, the path toward Europe's political union continues despite resistance and reactions. Greeks should be at the forefront of Europe's political unification for historical and geopolitical reasons.

"Happy Birthday, Europe!"

Paul Marantos

marantosp@gmail.com