May 17, 2007
Before the European Parliament
On May 9, the European Union celebrated the fifty-year anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, and invited a number of Nobel Laureates to speak in the European Parliament. Among them was Reinhard Selten, who shared the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1994. Selten's short presentation was delivered in German, but an Esperanto translation by Bertilo Wennergren and Ziko van Dijk was recently published in the webzine Libera Folio. I've taken the liberty of making an English translation, which I offer here.
Ladies and Gentlemen!
It is for me an honor and a joy to speak to you today.
In the 50 years since the Treaty of Rome economic integration has progressed wonderfully. It's been a long road, but basic changes have been politically fulfilled. Much was long viewed as impossible, as for example the Monetary Union. The Monetary Union has been shown to be a great success. That must be especially thanked to the independence of the European Central Bank and to its requirement to hold to the goal of monetary stability.
It is probable that a new European basic treaty will be decided on instead of the European constitution. I hope that the independence and tasks of the Central Bank will remain unchanged. Economic integration has certainly not been completed.
The irreproachable, under cartel law, takeover of a New York electricity provider by a California electricity provider would not cause political excitement in the United States. In Europe we are not yet ready for such an event.
It is necessary to stimulate the creation of a stronger European identity. The Europeans must learn to feel themselves as Europeans first.
An important hindrance on the way to a stronger European identity are the language barriers within Europe. That language problem demands a solution. Domination by one national language cannot be in the solution. In the long run only a neutral solution is acceptable. We have no right to place any nation at a disadvantage.
An easily learnable planned language such as Esperanto makes a neutral solution to the language problem possible. A second foreign language is learned much more easily than the first. The second-language effect is so strong, and Esperanto so easily, that it is more favorable to first learn Esperanto and then a national foreign language than just that foreign language alone. This has been scientifically proven in tests in schools.
First, several countries can make a treaty about the teaching of Esperanto in schools. Afterwards that treaty can be widened to other countries. The way to the widening of treaties has been followed successfully several times, for example the Schengen Treaty and the Monetary Union.
I thank you for your attention!