Paul - Mario Pagliaro's blog

Last May, when I was Maitre de Conference Associé at the ENSCM (Montpellier, France), I addressed the following letter to the Editor of the International Herald Tribune.

Sir,

In 1993 I was a graduate student at Leiden's University, in the Netherlands. Along with me, many of the students taking part in the "Erasmus project"of then European Community were from eastern European countries such as Albania, Bulgaria and Poland. I remember we were even brought to visit the Dutch Parliament as well as the EC Office in the Hague.

Twelve years later, I am teaching at France's School of chemistry in Montpellier. There are students and post-doctoral young scientists from Germany and I share my office with an Australian. But there are neither Russians not to mention Ukrainians or people from the Baltic states.

As competition from Asian and American countries is boosting, Europe's economy is facing a prolonged crisis with entrepreuners asking for curbs to importations from China while their children -- in Italy like in Germany -- decide to stay at their parents' home until 35 years old.

Isn't it therefore surprising that we are closing our doors to Russia and to all the contributes this immense country might give to a Europe's renaissance?

European Governments are considering Turkey: But do do not remotely think of Russia as a possible member state of the European Union. Yet, Russians share
Europe's tradition in art, history and cultural heritageincluding Christian religion, since more than 1000 years.

It is the Russians, and not the Germans, who reliably send men to space since 50 years; build the world's best nuclear submarines, are the first global oil producer, and share a fantastic tradition in science that -- besides honouring the Russian people -- might really give a boost to sick Europe's economy and open the route to a peaceful integration.

Yet, we and the Russians alike, keep tightly closed the doors to cooperation and integration. University campuses in the US are filled with the children of a rapidly growing wealth Russian middle class; while you will barely findone of them in Heidelberg, Rome, Madrid or London's universities.

Given such a lack of vision, is it any wonder that Europe's contributes to world's culture, wealth and to a peaceful common future are so rapidly vanishing?

Mario Pagliaro