In November 2017, I took this selfie. Today I want to explain why this image represents what positive things the European Union enables me to do.
Erasmus+: During the Winter Semester in 2017, I did a study abroad in Madrid, Spain. It was possible because my home university (TU Wien) and the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid are partner universities. So it was pretty easy for me to become an exchange student at the UPM.
No Visa: Because of the Schengen Agreement, citizens of the member countries do not need a visa to stay in another member country.
No Passport: I did not even bring my passport to Spain. When visiting EU countries, the Austrian identity card is enough to prove my identity.
Interrail: The cheap train tickets allowed me to travel around Spain for a fraction of the regular price. I am aware that the EU is not responsible for Interrail in any way, but it is still a result of the ongoing peace on the continent.
No Roaming: In 2017, the EU abolished roaming charges. It allowed me to use my mobile phone and sim card like at home. I did not need a new phone number or change my WhatsApp settings while staying within the EU.
Free WIFI: I sat on the beach and wanted to upload this image to the internet. And what did I see? My iPhone has already connected to the WIFI. The uni campus close to where I was, maintained an Edurom network.
And the best thing last: I posted this photo into a chat with a group of my friends. These people were among others from Japan and the USA from Germany and France from Poland and Austria. Not even 80 years ago, all these people would only have met on the battlefield.
In summary, although there are a lot of critiques of the EU (e.g., Copyright Directive) and the British people even voted to leave, we should all sometimes take a moment and think about the good things the EU has brought its citizens…