Europe

The link between both scientists and clinical health professionals in Neurology among the European countries is crucial to maintain and improve the continuous development of Neurology in Europe. In order to ensure the integrity of the European neurological community, it is important to overcome geographical and age gaps and to create links aiming for “one common” neurological understanding in Europe and worldwide across all generations (1,2).

European institutions are sometimes discredited and put into questions. This is particularly true in these times of populistic political movements which try to steer the wheel of European unification backwards. Reasons given by opponents are that ‘European efforts are considered too slow, too burocratic and too inflexible’. ‘There are too many cooks preparing the meal’. Sometimes we hear this also from scientists. The logical conclusion is to spend the money at home in their own countries. The latter view is sometimes even expressed by people who in principle share the European perspective. Populistic politicians go so far to even question the whole EU project. In this respect medical research community can make an argument and a big contribution to the understanding why the EU is important.