There are crises in Europe, but the idea of Europe is not experiencing a crisis - Levits

RIGA - There are crises in Europe, but the idea of Europe is not experiencing a crisis, Latvian President Egils Levits said while addressing participants of an international symposium taking place in Lithuania's second-largest city of Kaunas today.

As Elina Kresa, communication specialist of the Media Center of the State President's Office, informed LETA, at the symposium, the president emphasized that Europe and the idea of it are characterized by three basic elements - the political system, a constitutional democracy with all its values, a culture that has been formed for more than 2,000 years, and the subjective geography that has often been changed by the political situation in European history.

According to the words of the President, even now it can be seen that the subjective geography of Europe is changing along with the Russian war in Ukraine, shining an even stronger light on Europe, the idea of it and belonging to it as a value.

Levits pointed out that currently even small countries can influence the political situation and subjective geography. He emphasized that the center of gravity of European politics has shifted towards the East, where the countries of the Bucharest Nine or NATO's Eastern Flank play a major role during the war caused by Russia.

According to Levits, the mentioned countries have shown leadership both by actively sharing their vision of reality and by offering ideas for solutions to the crisis. "We have all experienced how to reach a consensus in Europe based on this vision," emphasized Levits.

At the symposium, the President also emphasized that the idea of Europe is constantly developing and expanding, and that Europe's value in today's world is only increasing.

Levits thanked for the opportunity to speak at the international symposium, which is held as part of the program of Kaunas as the European Capital of Culture, and invited all to visit the European Capital of Culture 2027 - the Latvian city of Liepaja.

He pointed out that there is an interesting connection between Kaunas and Liepaja - both cities once played the role of temporary capital due to various historical circumstances.