Richard Golian

1995-born. Charles University alum. Head of Performance at Mixit.

#myjourney #myfamily #digital #artificialintelligence #darkness #security #finance #politics #cognition #health

Castellano Français Slovenčina

Richard Golian

Hi, I'm Richard. On this blog, I share thoughts, personal stories — and what I'm working on. I hope this article brings you some value.

What do I want from the European institutions?

By Richard Golian24 November 2018 Slovenčina

A while ago, I was sitting in a park when I overheard an interesting thought following the abolishment of roaming charges: “The EU isn’t useless after all.”

Each and every person finds the purpose of things according to what they see as important, useful etc. Identifying what is it that we demand of the European institutions is constituted in a similar process. Mostly there would be more issues we consider crucial. However, we usually can see one that we find the most important.

What do I want from the European institutions in the first place? I want precisely the same as from Slovak institutions.

I want the rules to apply. I believe this is the base of every community. Many people might find it funny: “Is the purpose of the EU really to follow the rules? What’s the point of that idea?” Well, the very beginning of the European integration started precisely by introducing rules (regarding coal and steel). Those rules changed a region where all states had a past of endless wars and civilians would suffer to a place where an armed conflict is more than unthinkable nowadays.

Rules protect us today, however, only in case there is someone who demands that the rules are followed. I mostly mean rules that are the pillars of the EU: the rule of law or the right to free access to information. Even if I might hold citizenship of a state where its representatives try to sabotage these rights. The problem is some people do not feel that every member state is obliged to follow the rules, in other words, there might be privileged ones who get away with breaking them. I identify two approaches to this issue.

First, if an institution (for example some European one) does not enforce rules equally for everyone, those rules may as well not exist. This would be like suggesting we stop punishing tax evasion just because someone got away with it once. It makes no sense to join a community that requires us to accept a set of rules and then fail to enforce them. This undermines the very purpose of the community and highlights the contradictory stance of some EU member state representatives. They often act as if following the rules is against the people’s interest, even though citizens simply want them to follow the rules they agreed to when joining the community. We cannot allow these rules to be ignored, even if some may have slipped through the cracks.

Second, we can invest as much effort as possible into making sure that rules apply to everyone, not meaning praising the EU only when we see fit. No, I think it is best to create/be part of a community which functions properly and try to have it function properly at all times. Investing our energy into a purposeful community makes so much sense. Just as it makes sense to try to have all cases of tax evasion punished instead of not punishing anyone.

Why would one even talk about this? Is one individual citizen of the EU, one of 500 million, able to do anything at all? To begin with, he has the right to vote in the EU parliament election which I have discussed already. However, it is not the only way to change things. Ask questions to the candidates and listen carefully to what they have to say. When the answer is not clear, rather think twice. Some people may seek election so badly they simply want to be liked by everyone and refuse to give clear answers.

EU citizens also have other options to be heard. There are petitions which have to be reviewed by the EU institutions if specific conditions are met. Public rallies are organized despite criticism. We can control the actions of politicians. We are 500 million and without us, the EU makes no sense. We can invest our energy into the proper functioning of the EU or member states. It only depends on our will to do so.

As G. B. Shaw once said:

“Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.”
Richard Golian

If you have any thoughts, questions, or feedback, feel free to drop me a message at mail@richardgolian.com.

Investors Are Becoming Useless, the Stock Market a Casino, and the Internet Just a Game

17 May 2025 What was once valuable is losing its worth... 418

The World Is Changing Faster Than Most People Realize

26 April 2025 The more I talk with friends and acquaintances about AI, the more I notice something alarming... 846

A Middle-Class Confidence Crisis Could Trigger the Next Stock Market Crash

20 April 2025 When someone loses their job, their sense of security collapses—so they sell their stocks... 897

The AI Revolution: Time to Let Real Robots Do Robotic Work?

18 April 2025 This exchange struck a chord with me—enough that I’m writing this post... 698

What am I investing in today? That question must be preceded by another one.

13 April 2025 I often get asked what I’m doing with my finances this year... 789

I built my own analytics with the help of AI – cookie-free and GDPR-compliant

13 April 2025 This project changed the way I think about generative AI... 1023

European Sales Under the Microscope – The Impact of the Boycott on American Brands

22 March 2025 Preliminary signals already suggested the impact might not be just symbolic... 1091

AI-Powered Investigations: The Future of Exposing Crime

16 March 2025 The more I think about it, the more I realize what a fundamental issue this is... 699

Fear is Useful: AI and Robotics as a Threat to Our Security

15 March 2025 You might say I’m being too fearmongering. Fear is useful. 942

What Is Performance Marketing – and How Is AI Changing It?

6 March 2025 Performance marketing isn’t just about ads, data, and analytics... 740