If any comic book fans have ever wondered whether Europe would ever produce an answer to likes of Captain America, one “mild mannered civil servant” has responded to their request.
Speaking to EurActiv, he lays out his thoughts on Grexit, Brexit and what inspired the costume.
Asked about the prospect of Britain leaving the EU, Captain Europe said:
“Well, in a sense, that is a matter for the British people. I think that there is a bit of ambivalence in Britain about what they want. I think there’s a bit of ambivalence, if we’re honest, elsewhere in the European Union. There’s a level of exasperation, and probably some people are muttering privately that if the UK were to leave, then it would be a case of good riddance and let the rest of us get on with it.
“But I think that the United Kingdom is an important part of the European Union. There are an awful lot of myths about and an awful lot of fear which I think is regrettable. We are in the 21st century now, not the first half of the 20th. We need to get away from the politics of fear and the politics of xenophobia. And if you have legitimate concerns about the EU’s imperfections, which are many, then the way to address those is not to leave, but to get very firmly stuck in and put those imperfections right.”
Probed further on whether he had worn the uniform in “diplomatically private moments”, the Captain replied: “Not recently.”
Image Credit – Captain Europe with commissioner Maros Sefcovic, May 2015
