Which animal to embody Europe?share your opinion

Find the results of the responses on the Europe blog of La Tribune by clicking here.

The year 2009 was declared European year of creativity and innovation.For the occasion, the commission even proposed a slogan?: "Imagine. Create. Innovate".The gallery therefore goes with its suggestion?: Endowing the union with an animal symbol.

"An animal for Europe? It would be a great idea?!" Exclaims the president of the Commission for Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament.And if Jo Leinen is also enthusiastic, it is because the European Union suffers from an obvious incarnation deficit."An animal emblem would bring Europe closer to citizens," continues the German MEP.Nicolas Sarkozy was able to give Europe for six months.But the rest of the time, it is really difficult for the newspapers to illustrate the twenty-seven when they want to show something other than flags, official buildings or "family photos"?!

Some are still at risk.Recently, to support an article on the European response to the financial crisis, the New York Times chose the photo of a bronze bull.This had to delight the Spaniards, but did all Europeans recognize themselves in this representation ??Did the Americans understand that we were talking about Europe and not of Wall Street, in the middle of which Mugit the famous statue "Bullish" ...

The use of animal symbolism would compensate for the lack of official status of the flag with twelve stars and the "ode to joy" of Beethoven.To prevent the Lisbon Treaty from recalling too much the constitution rejected by the French and the Dutch, all the symbols?Including these two?were indeed banished from the document promised to a final ratification this year.MEPs still chose to recognize them in their walls because "these symbols contribute, according to them, to unite and give a soul to Europe".

The majority of member countries already have their emblematic animal

Inherited from the heraldic tradition, animal symbolism continues in most countries of the Union.In this great European menagerie, the lion sits a absolute master.From Finland to Spain, passing through the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic, it appears in a good place in official documents.And for good reason, the king of animals embodies power, wisdom and justice.The eagle has the favor of the countries located east of the Rhine.Germans, Austrians and Polish are very attached to this symbol of strength and prestige.The French make, once again, a band apart with this good old rooster appeared at the time when Gaul was Roman.In Latin, "Gallus" means both "Gallic" and "rooster".

According to our detractors, no other animal could have better summarized the spirit of bell tower of the French?: "It is the only animal that continues to sing, even from the top of his pile of manure?!", Can we hearRail some of our neighbors.Suffice to say that there is little chance that France imposes its mascot.

To designate the animal best symbolizing European diversity, the gallery submitted a list to the Commission of Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament which agreed to help us.

First it had to be a selection while respecting basic rules.Failing to impose himself because only representative of his species in the country in question, such as kangaroo in Australia or Kiwi in New Zealand, an emblem animal must be representative of a community.

The first on the list therefore derives its legitimacy from the onomastic origins of our continent.In Greek mythology, Europe, a Phoenician princess, was removed by Zeus, who took care to transform into a white bull to approach it without frightening it."I cannot imagine another choice than the bull, explains Michel Pastoureau, historian of emblems and animal symbolism. It would turn his back on twenty-five centuries of history that have constantly given Europe a bull for attribute. "The ruminant therefore seems essential in this bestiary.

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But other suggestions deserve to dwell on it.Valéry Giscard d'Estaing had, for example, chose a "Dragon Turtle" to symbolize the drafting of the European Constitution.His little porcelain companion was placed on the table of the presidency during the debates.Symbol of longevity, this creature of Chinese mythology with a turtle body and a dragon head represented for the president "the prudent approach which leads to its objective".Like the Convention, "the Dragon turtle advanced progressively to grasp in its claws, when the time comes, the final text".We saw the result.No doubt it is better to stick to an existing animal.

Eric Baratay, specialist in the history of relations between man and animal, considers that the symbolism of an animal representing Europe must be simple?: "It is not necessary that people ask themselves questions. "Alain Guggenbühl, of the European Institute of Public Administration, sees in the process of European integration the rhythm specific to the elephant, "robust animal, but at the speed of slow movement".

Mario Telo, director of the Institute of Political Studies at the Free University of Brussels, shares the same analysis but rather thinks of the turtle, the real this time, "strong, but slow and not aggressive".At first glance, the two animals display comparable symbolic characteristics.But they also have drawbacks?: The turtle is silent and the elephant does not live on European territory.Which, by the way, also applies to the lion, but given that he already roared in a dozen European countries, the king of animals must, for democratic concern, to appear in the list.

Jo Leinen has another idea.Since the European Union was built in the refusal of war and that its main characteristics are peace and dialogue, the MEP would opt for the dove.According to Eric Baratay, a bird would indeed be a good choice to represent European construction?: "It is the animal that rises above the borders, which transgresses them."The eagle certainly embodies several European countries, "but it is too healicist".The history teacher would rather orient himself towards the owl, incarnation of wisdom.It is already the animal emblem of Greece."The owl would symbolize Europe which plays another game in the concert of nations than that of the balance of power," he continues.

The dove or the bull ??

The bestiary composed of a bull, a turtle, an elephant, a lion, a dove and a owl was proposed to the members of the Commission of Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament.Among these, the former Belgian Prime Minister, Jean-Luc Dehaene, the former Finnish Prime Minister, Anneli Jäätteenmäki, or the adviser of Nicolas Sarkozy for European affairs, Alain Lamassoure.

This commission also has a few eurosceptics which preferred to ignore our list to offer with humor?: Crab, hedgehog and giant lazy.For those who played the game, the turtle and the elephant, synonymous with "tight brake", did not convince.The lion and the owl did barely better, the first judged "cliché" and the second "boring".

At the counting of the questionnaires, two animals share first place?: The dove and the bull.The latter aroused both the enthusiasm of certain deputies boosted by their taste pronounced for the arena - "Toro, Toro, Toro?!"- and the reluctance of others who find him "sexist", even "aggressive".Ditto for the dove, for some "magnificent symbol of peace and also of European culture if we chose the dove drawn by Picasso" but "not really original" and "too Catholic" for the others.So we will have to decide.And why would this task not return to the Europeans themselves ??In any case, it would be more fun and above all less affected than the 448 articles of the Constitution ...