As the 10^th anniversary of the Euro approached in late 2011, the media pessimistically reported on the debt and the Euro crises. I don’t agree with all of these negative conclusions. So what are the facts?

The goal of the EU, its Brand Purpose, is a Unified Europe—a true union. This united Europe will secure peace in a region that has been a war theater for centuries, and enable prosperity for all Europeans. To its credit, the EU has already accomplished much of what it has set out to do.

The united Europe ranks proudly among one of four or five leadership centers in the new world order. It stands for the interests of almost 500 million people. By the end of the unification process, there will be no national boundaries left in Europe. Instead, Europeans will collaborate as one people.

Understandably, this vision of a united Europe will take time to achieve. Implementation needs to accommodate the different and varying interests of participants, and it will certainly prove more difficult than creating the idea or developing the strategy.

Despite divergent opinions on how to proceed with the Euro, the 17 states of the Euro zone now constitute a true fiscal union. They submit sovereignty to the community, signifying an important strengthening of the core of Europe. These 17 states are also powerful “nation brands.” They have taken the lead and their actions will strongly influence those who still have reservations about further integration among member states. In a sense, the current task before Europe is to re-align its brand architecture to make it more unified.

Turning to the Euro crisis, the agreement of the 17 states means that a strong hand will be ruling the common currency in the future. Without this agreement, the Euro crisis would have been more serious.

In reality the EU has given itself a big present on the 10^th birthday of the Euro—a fact overlooked by the media during the heat of the debt crisis. That is unfortunate because providing accurate information is essential, and will inspire and empower the Europeans as they implement this great vision.

Ulf-Brün Drechsel is the executive director, EMEA for Siegel+Gale in Hamburg.