In 2040, I think Europe has a stronger economy and is no longer seen as a continent stuck in the past. More jobs, less crime, less unnecessary immigration and a strong common belief that Europe can handle problems together and not rely on the US to support it all the time. I think we need to have a common defense budget and not make too many laws that make the work difficult for the member states. Environmental work should continue and the continent should take steps to catch up in technology development and not rely on Asia or America.

In 2050, the world has changed in ways that would have seemed like science fiction only a few decades ago. Green spaces have spiralled skywards, interspersed with urban skyscrapers that breathe with the pattern of artificial intelligence. Cities glowed at night in a bioluminescent landscape, replacing street lights with shimmering pathways that changed colour according to the mood of the people walking by, thanks to state-of-the-art biofeedback technology.

I would like the migrants to accept us as we are. I have nothing against them living out their culture in return for them accepting ours. Criminals should finally be punished appropriately so that we can walk the streets as freely as we did a few years ago. Parents should not question every sentence but educate their children so that they can behave themselves and not ask the child what is right. I have to say that I love children, but their behavior leaves a lot to be desired.

My wish for 2040 is that we will no longer be bossed around by such nobodies and whistles in Brussels or in national governments. Politics in the EU is increasingly degenerating into lobbyism and a self-service store. More direct democracy and not just a pretense of democracy. Security in the EU should be protected by external borders.