I believe nowadays that Europe is stained with an unjust view of doom. It seems every news story that flickers to life on my television painfully drones on about the horror of the declining euro; the instability of Spain, Greece, and Ireland. Young Europeans are constantly reminded of the desolate future that lies before them as their lives will be consumed with repaying for mistakes made by ignorant politicians and businessmen. But, as a young European, I refuse to have the negative view that Europe is crumbling beneath us and I believe that our future is not the void pit the media wants it to be, but a flourishing life before us that will exude with European pride.

Although there is general financial mayhem within the Eurozone as Greece stays in euro currency limbo and balances on the edge of disaster, I believe that Europe will pull out of it this crisis like has time and time before. After the Second World War, Germany was a defeated and barren country that dealt with the plummeting economy and the shame of the Nazi idealism that was rooted within their society. Germany was morally bankrupt and dealt with hyperinflation as prices rose by 85 percent in just a mere twelve months after December 1944. I’m sure many media outlets and gossiping women on the streets of America or Australia insisted that this was the end of Europe, the very dissolution of a continent so rich in culture and history. But yet, Germany managed to pull out of the trenches of a spiralling post-war economy and is now the most powerful country in Europe. Europe is a continent very accepting of change, as 70 years ago Hitler brought down such a fantastic collection of nations, and now Angela Merkel is rising to the challenge to restore Europe back to its rightful prominence. It’s strange to see how much has changed in those seven decades, but I can’t help admire Europe’s evident willingness to accept Germany’s leadership.

Perhaps a more dramatic and more medieval example would be Europe’s recovery after the horrific Black Plague. Europe lost an estimated 30 to 60 percent of its population, and yet we recovered. It might have taken us 150 years, but we were able to restore ourselves from this devastating loss.

I refuse to believe Europe will perpetually remain in this vicious cycle of distrust and deceit. Greece became too laid back and relied solely on tourism for national income, and Ireland suffered the manipulations of the Anglo-Irish Bank. Spain has also recently begun to drown in the sea of European despair, but amidst all this negativity, I cannot help but find some shooting stars of hope.

Germany is a booming economy that might just have the power to restore Europe back to a wealthy group of cultured countries. Austerity might be an extreme option, but what is the alternative? France has a new socialist president, Francois Hollande, who believes in equality and change for this declining European attitude. Perhaps the racism problems in France can also change for the better under this new socialist administration.

Europe is undergoing an extreme change in its system right now. Yes, it’s true that Europe has made mistakes in the past, but I believe that those are toxic mistakes made by sleazy politicians and do not define the rest of the hopeful European population. Can we define America by the decisions made by The Bush Administration to launch an endless campaign on the War on Terror? No, we simply cannot because we ignore the opinions of those who greatly oppose such actions. The same can be said for Europe as we are unfairly characterised by decisions made by misleading leaders.

The European Union has helped create great trade links between member states and immigration within the member countries is done almost seamlessly as a European Union citizen can live and work in any member state. Europe has birthed many talents in its life time, such as Pablo Picasso, Paul McCartney, James Joyce, William Shakespeare, and Vincent Van Gough, just to name a few. We are a continent rich in resources such as oil newly discovered off the coast of Ireland or the oil that lies in the North Sea just above Scotland. Along with Asia, our emigrants shaped and created America, and without Europe, the United States would most definitely not be the country it is today. We are a continent united in difference of opinion, difference of language, difference of culture. But it is these fantastic differences that unite us. We are struggling right now, but Europe has hope in their youth, and I look forward to the day when we are proud Europeans once more.