Europe: what’s next? – 28 cartoonists on the state of the EU

We know what divides the European countries. Nationalism is rising in Europe on a scale unprecedented since the 1930s. And the dream of a peaceful Europe through ever closer EU co-operation has come under pressure. It is clear, in other words, that this is not just a passing crisis, and that Europe is now standing at a crossroads.

This is the reason why Slovakia, which holds the European Union presidency, has decided to convene an informal summit in Bratislava on Friday, where European leaders will discuss a fundamental issue: The future of the EU.

The British vote to leave the European Union means that for the first time in its history, the EU will become smaller, not larger. Progress has been replaced by setbacks. Vision has been replaced by self-absorption. The power of co-operation has been weakened by disruption, fear of terrorism, and a mental state of emergency.

In advance of the Bratislava summit, the Danish newspaper Politiken brought together 28 leading news media from the (still) 28 members of the EU, including The Irish Times. Each of media outlet involved assigned a cartoonist with the same task: Give us your interpretation of the European community at this moment – and in the light of Brexit.

The results comprise a morbid, witty and gloomy pan-European narrative and an artistic vision.

AUSTRIA 
Kurier
Cartoonist: Michael Pammesberger

“They were having this Brexit party. David, Boris and Nigel had all had too much to drink. Rock’n’roll! And then things got a bit out of control. The band was playing, ‘The ice age is coming, the sun’s zooming in...engines stop running...but I have no fear, cause London is drowning.’ Then Joe Strummer smashed his guitar and everything got destroyed”. This is how Michael Pammesberger describes his cartoon for the Austrian newspaper Kurier. “The next day they woke up with a headache. It was a huge ‘Clash’, and I could not help thinking about this album cover. Clash means Clash”, he said. Kurier is one of Austria’s leading newspaper. It often plays a crucial role in the national debate with its centre-left and pro-European comments.

BELGIUM
Het Nieuwsblad
Cartoonist: Marec

“I envisioned that the EU was losing Queen Elizabeth and replacing her with the European Queen Angela. She is a strong symbol of the Europe that now has to move on after Brexit”, said the cartoonist Marec who works for the Belgium newspaper Het Nieuwsblad. “Wir schaffen das – we can make it. That is really a strong mantra for the future of Europe”, he said. Het Nieuwsblad defines itself as a Christian-democratic, conservative newspaper with a generally positive view of the EU.

BULGARIA
Capital
Cartoonist: Yavor Popov

“When the core of Europe sinks into uncertainty, there is no way this will not affect the periphery. And this is only a small part of the problem. The result of the referendum changes everything. Political, economic, diplomatic relations, built with lots of efforts for 43 years, will now have to be unraveled in the most complicated and expensive divorce in the world”, said the Bulgarian newspaper Capital in a statement on its cartoon contribution. “The success of superficial politics in Britain could ignite a dangerous chain reaction throughout the Union, leading other countries to exit. Even if it does not, the union towards which Bulgaria strived so much, will change irrevocably”. Capital is one of Bulgaria’s leading newspapers. From a centre-right point of view, it focuses on political and financial news.

CROATIA
24sata
Cartoonist: Nik Titanik

“I come from a small country, and for us it can seem dramatic when the big countries pull away. And I wanted to poke fun at the British hypocrisy”, said Nik Titanik. He said that his cartoon for the Croatian newspaper 24sata depicts the schizophrenic British approach to the EU. “They want to be independent, but they still want all the benefits from the EU. But they hate the EU! I do not get it. They are saying, ‘Hey, let us keep up our cooperation’. But they are also saying, ‘F... off, we are done with you’. That is strange behaviour”, he said. 24sata, a relatively new newspaper, has the third-largest readership in Croatia. 24sata targets younger readers and avoids ideological side-taking in the national and European debate.

CYPRUS
Politis
Cartoonist: Thanasis Papaspyropoulos

“I see Europe as it should be and Europe as it is. Blind, apprehensive, and reactionary. We create Europe. We decide which way to go”. “We need to go back to the roots of the original European project. It was beautiful and simple, but also fragile. That is what I want to show. We are responsible for the current situation, and it is our responsibility not to let ourselves be dragged to bottom by fear and ignorance”. Politis is the second largest newspaper in Cyprus. It is a centre-right leaning newspaper and independent of political parties.

CZECH REPUBLIC
Reflex
Cartoonist: Štepán Mareš

“From time to time, there are some dissonances in the relationship between two people. Therefore is it logical that there are some in the relationship between 28 countries, too”, said Štepán Mareš, who created the contribution from the Czech news magazine Reflex. “The fire spreads – as do doubts about the European idea after the Brexit vote. Germany will always be one of the leaders of Europe, because of its size and economic power. Smaller countries like us can envy it, disagree with that – but that is probably all we can do. Germany, as one of the leaders, naturally tries to extinguish the fire. Unfortunately, it is probably also sometimes extinguishing those unwillingly started by itself”. Reflex is the most read weekly magazine in the Czech Republic. It is known for its critical journalism and has a conservative editorial line.

DENMARK
Politiken
Cartoonist: Philip Ytournel

“We are all in this together. And it seems foolish to isolate oneself. This is not just about the UK. I am criticizing isolationism as such”, said Philip Ytournel. He is a staff cartoonist for the Danish newspaper Politiken. “We do not have to be great friends all the time. It may be a human trait to hide behind walls. We just have to remember that the guys on the other side of the wall have something valuable to offer, too. Are we moving towards a Fortress Europe? I don’t know. Nor do I know if it is a good thing or a bad thing. Things are not just black and white as they are in my cartoon”. Politiken is Denmark’s largest newspaper. Founded in 1884, it continues to play an important role in shaping the national debate. Politiken is based on social-liberal values and has a generally positive view of the EU.

ESTONIA
Postimees
Cartoonist: Urmas Nemvalts

“The ominous result of the referendum has already divided the United Kingdom. For a moment, I imagined the European Union vis-a-vis the freedom-loving British lion”, said Urmas Nemvalts. “It may turn out that this ‘liberation’ will not be as neat and happy as the British had hoped for”. Postimees is Estonia’s largest newspaper and the most read publication in the Baltic countries. The newspaper maintains a neutral editorial stance.

FINLAND
Helsingin Sanomat
Cartoonist: Ville Tietäväinen

“I wanted to show a European wholeness that is recognisable, but clearly inoperative because it is a cubist jumble”. That is how Ville Tietäväinen describes his cartoon for the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. “I decided to use a classical European instrument – but one that cannot be played. The violin represents the most classical European tradition of playing together. The chin rest is detached from the instrument so as to resemble Great Britain”, he said. Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s largest newspaper, is strongly pro-EU. Officially, it is neutral in terms of ideology, but historically the newspaper has been known for its social-conservative profile.

FRANCE
Cartoonist: Plantu, Cartooning for Peace and Le Monde
"Princess Europe" © Plantu, 2016. All rights reserved.

“Despite our respective rulers’ specific problems, I wanted to draw Princess Europe with the traits of the woman of our dreams”, said the well-known cartoonist Plantu who has been working for Le Monde since 1972. “The mistakes of the 28 will not prevent me from having a true desire for Europe”, he said. Le Monde, one of the largest newspapers in France, is also widely respected around the world. Le Monde is pro-EU, with a centre-left editorial stance.

GERMANY
Die Zeit
Cartoonist: Jochen Schievink

“The illustration was made under the impression that more and more countries are trying to fillet the EU into pieces to get the best parts out of it – even if they risk to kill the whole thing”, said staff cartoonist Jochen Schievink from Die Zeit. Die Zeit is one of Germany’s largest and most influential newspapers. Over the years, Die Zeit has moved from a liberal-conservative stance to its present social-liberal and largely pro-European focus.

GREECE
Kathimerini
Cartoonist: Ilias Delloglou

“At a time marked by intense globalization, the United Kingdom decided to leave the EU for financial reasons. The British voters’ decision to leave the EU was also an expression of their wish to punish the EU. It reminded me of the joke about the man who cuts his own penis off to punish his wife”. Kathimerini is one of Greece’s leading newspapers. The editorial stance is centre-right, but it is independent of political parties.

HUNGARY
Népszabadság
Cartoonist: Marabu

“I know the world is not perfect, I see many problems to draw about, but one must see the good things, too. I am happy when I can draw optimistic cartoons – at least once in a while”, said the cartoonist Marabu. He works for the Hungarian newspaper Népszabadság. “Nowadays they talk too much about the problems of the European Union – and drawing angry cartoons on troubles is a simple job. I think it is a very important mission to make optimistic cartoons”. Népszabadság’s editorial stance is social-liberal and pro-European. It is one of Hungary’s largest newspapers.

IRELAND
The Irish Times
Cartoonist: Martyn Turner

“The future of Europe… well it will, of course, be riven with misunderstanding and confusion. Take my cartoon, for example. They ain’t sheep. They’re lemmings, creatures who mythically commit suicide from time to time by jumping off a cliff”, said Martyn Turner. Turner is behind the contribution from The Irish Times. “Someone else who thought they were sheep was the chief panjandrum of the UKIP Leave campaign. He asked if they could reprint the cartoon on some of their campaign literature. It suited him to think that being opposed to austerity naturally made you opposed to Europe. He was wrong on that score, as he is pretty much wrong on every other score”. The Irish Times is one of Ireland’s largest newspapers. It has a social-liberal profile.

ITALY
Ilsole24ore
Cartoonist: Maria Corté

“In the image, the abstract idea of a city in the dark which, only through the awakening of its citizens’ consciousness, of their homes’ lights through the windows, is capable of projecting an image of unity and singularity and, in this way, defining a common project”. “It is in moments of disorientation and institutional anxiety that these citizens, more so than those who represent them, have the strength to preserve the project and take it forward. Ilsole24ore is the fourth largest newspaper in Italy. It defines itself as a liberal newspaper.

LATVIA
Diena
Cartoonist: Zemgus Zaharans

“Before the Euro was introduced in Latvia, we also had a high-value currency, like the British. A full-bodied currency”, said Zemgus Zaharans, a cartoonist with the Latvian newspaper Diena. “I saw the British decision to take the road to Brexit – which is a dead-end – as a sign that the British pound is likely to lose some weight”, he said. Diena is a mid-sized Latvian newspaper with no fixed editorial stance.

LITHUANIA
Delfi.lt
Cartoonist: Rimas Pocius

“We decided to focus on immigration, which is one of the main issues under discussion here in Lithuania. Many Lithuanians and other Europeans migrate to the UK”, said Rimas Pocius, a cartoonist from the Lithuanian news agency Delfi. “This leaves us with questions on how Brexit will impact those people. Not only plumbers and builders are going to the UK. We are also talking about wealthy tourists, winemakers, chefs, and artists”. Delfi is one of the largest online news sites, not only in Lithuania, but also in the other Baltic countries. Delfi is officially independent of political parties.

LUXEMBOURG
Luxemburger Wort
Cartoonist: Florin Balaban

“To me, this was madness. Brexit could not happen. That is what I thought, at least. We live in a world where we should be moving closer to each other, but then the opposite happens”. “I wanted to show the humiliation. The humiliation of succeeding in forcing a ‘Leave’-vote by lying to the population. They do not have a project to replace the European Union. Nobody knows what to do. Should we laugh or cry?”. Luxemburger Wort is the largest newspaper in Luxembourg. The newspaper is Catholic-conservative and strongly pro-European.

MALTA
Times of Malta
Cartoonist: Sebastian Tanti Burlò

“Europe is fat, she is not the beauty she once was. Her people have become lethargic and apathetic, resembling sausages more than the people they were. They are distant from the ideal of a united Europe, the result of years of alienation and bureaucracy” “Brexit is a shining example of this public alienation. The British people were conned and the European people have no idea what is going to happen. The unknown creates fear – this fear strengthens nationalism for we will run to the familiar rather than turn to the unknown”, he said. The Times of Malta is the oldest and most read newspaper in Malta. Although known for its stinging editorials, the newspaper is independent of political parties and ideologies, includingquestions concerning the EU.

NETHERLANDS
Volkskrant
Cartoonist: Bas van der Schot

“To me, Europe is an abstract ideal. And group photos of the European politicians after another crisis summit are the visual representations of Europe nowadays”, said Bas van der Schot, the artist behind Volkskrant’s contribution. “I thought to combine it with classical European culture. I am wondering what is left of the European pillars”. De Volksrant is one of the leading newspapers in the Netherlands. It is often critical of EU bureaucracy, and the editorial stance is centre-left.

POLAND
Polska Press Grupa
Cartoonist: Tomek Bochenski

“Brexit – a word we had not expected to hear ... But once it was heard, I began to ask myself which country would be the next to hold a referendum on leaving the European Union”. “This invisible hand of Brexit may lead to the “erasing” of still more countries from the EU structures. After the British decision, it will take us a long time to ”clean” our EU yard, which will never look the same again”. Polska Press Grupa, one of Poland’s largest media corporations, publishes 18 daily newspapers and magazines.

PORTUGAL
Expresso
Cartoonist: Christiano Salgado

“One fears the hatred in Europe. Tensions are everywhere – when it come to refugees, the economy, and the very idea of European cooperation”, said Christiano Salgado. “I see us slowly shutting ourselves off. We are building borders at a time when we should stand united. The idea of a borderless and open Europe is under threat”, he said when asked about his inspiration for the cartoon. Expresso is one of the largest newspapers in Portugal. Expresso is noted for its independent and investigative journalism, which is often critical of the EU system. Its editorial stance, however, is predominantly liberal and pro-European.

ROMANIA
Ziarul de Iasi
Cartoonist: Jup (Lucian Amarii)

“Some of the Brexit politicians act now like they know exactly what they are doing, but in reality they are confused and don’t know what they should do next. I also think that there will be a fair amount of chaos in the “UK leaving the EU” process”, said Lucian ‘Jup’ Amarii, a cartoonist at the Romanian newspaper Ziarul de Iasi. “So it’s like walking towards a door, but without having full control of your speed or direction!”. Ziarul de Iasi is one of the largest local newspapers in Romania. It does not have a fixed editorial stance.

SLOVAKIA
SME
Cartoonist: Mandor

“Literally, the time was my inspiration. I was sketching ideas on Brexit cartoons, and checked the time. I have a Monty Python’s ‘Ministry of silly walks’-styled clock on the wall. Immediately, this picture appeared in my head”, said cartoonist Mandor from the Slovakian newspaper SME. SME is one of the most read newspapers in Slovakia. Its editorial stance is liberal-conservative.

SLOVENIA
VECER
Cartoonist: Ciril Horjak

“I read the story about Icarus to my son the night that the British went to the polls. As the results came in, it struck me that the story of Icarus is the story of Europe. We are trying to touch the stars, but then we lose our upward momentum and fail to reach our goal”, said Ciril Horjak. “But my cartoon is also intended to show that we still have many countries working together. We must strengthen Europe, because it creates so many good things. Our problems are best solved in cooperation, and that is why it becomes dangerous when our wings are coming apart. We have to tread carefully”. VECER is the fourth largest newspaper in Slovenia. It does not define its editorial stance in terms of right-wing or left-wing politics. .

SPAIN
El Mundo
Cartoonist: Ricardo & Julio Rey

“We had this idea of doing something with the English lion. Proud and majestic. It seemed that the lion had been misled by irresponsible politicians and lured into voting about something they did not know the nature of”, said cartoonist Ricardo Ortega. He is part of the cartoonist duo Ricardo and Julio Rey that created El Mundo’s contribution. “They got caught on the way to this so-called independence. But the British are greater than their politicians”, he said. El Mundo is the second largest newspaper in Spain. In its editorials, it has argued for years for increased European integration. El Mundo defines itself as a liberal-conservative newspaper.

SWEDEN
Dagens Nyheter
Cartoonist: Magnus Bard

“I found it difficult to get started on this task. It is a complex relationship. It is a warning to the European establishment, but it is also a roar from a struggling United Kingdom”, said Magnus Bard. “The United Kingdom is not strong and mighty anymore. Being on its own only makes it worse. The British self-image is one of a reborn Nelson at Trafalgar. And now they are left to fight the giants on their own. Maybe it is make-believe, who knows?”. Dagen Nyheter is the largest newspaper in Sweden. It is known for its incisive editorials and strong opinions section. Dagens Nyheter sees itself as an independent newspaper based on Nordic liberal values.

UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian
Cartoonist: Noma Bar

“I was convinced that Brexit would not happen. With this illustration I tried to convey the immediate feeling that many people were left with once the result was clear”, said Noma Bar, who has been a cartoonist for The Guardian since 2005. “A feeling of powerlessness, no big fuss. You should not underestimate how many Brits are deeply sad that we now have to learn how to make it on our own. And there is nobody to blame but ourselves. No bluster, just sorrow”. Internationally renowned, The Guardian is the third largest newspaper in the UK. Its editorial stance is centre-left and it has a reputation of being “an organ of the middle class”. The Guardian supported the Remain campaign.