But the reality is different, says Prof. Frank Baasner, long-standing director of the Franco-German Institute: "Nobody talks about a federal Europe anymore." At the following panel "Cross The Border, Close The Gap. The Zeitgeist in Europe after Postmodernism", the panelists – Frank Baasner, Heilbronn local councilor Isabell Steidel, the head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation's international office in Algiers Matthias Schäfer and TUM Campus Heilbronn students Jie Li and Bahadir Duranlioglu – gave the audience food for thought.
"Europe is my life – I have studied or worked and lived in seven European countries. It is a great opportunity to live in stable, democratic, prosperous times," Baasner replied to moderator Charleen Florijn's question about what Europe means to him. "Europe is defined by its values. We stand up for each other with the laws we make," says Steidel. Li is also convinced: "Economic issues may drive us apart, but democratic values will always bring us together again."
At the same time, the continent must face up to the current challenges: "We need an ecosystem that offers economic opportunities and freedom for everyone," warns Schäfer. Ultimately, however, the potential outweighs the challenges: "Europe has enormous potential if it manages to solve its organizational problems before it creates new ones," says Duranlioglu.