The notion that the European Union has never been less united than now has taken hold in the public consciousness. The recurring theme is that EU countries are unable to agree on euro reforms, on migratory flow management, on how to deal with growing aggressiveness from the US, Russia and China, and that the rise of national populism will further undermine the Union to the breaking point.
Divisions exist, and they are serious, but a calm and collected analysis, with historical perspective, shows that Europe is probably more united today than ever before. And to convince ourselves of this fact, it is not necessary to recall the centuries’ worth of European conflicts ranging from the Hundred Years’ War to World War II. It is enough to review the last 60 years of European integration.
Let’s break it down into decades. In the 1960s we had the Empty Chair Crisis, triggered by a De Gaulle, who felt considerably more French than European. Then, in the 1970s, we had the collapse of the “snake in the tunnel” (an attempt at monetary cooperation) that buried the Werner Plan and triggered years of tensions between France and a dominant Germany, which imposed the tyranny of the Deutsche Mark. And in the 1980s we had the crisis of Thatcher’s “handbag” and the Fontainebleau agreement institutionalizing the rebate for the UK on its contribution to the EU budget, a historical mistake that firmly established “English exceptionalism.”
There are those who will think that the 1990s, with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the signing of the Maastricht Treaty, were years of greater unity. Not in the least. The United Kingdom did not join the euro, the Danish voted against it, and only 51% of French citizens supported it. It was a narrow victory, and meanwhile there were many voices opposed to extending EU membership to Eastern European countries. These tensions flared up again in the first decade of the 21st century when the French and the Dutch voted against the European Constitution.
Read More at:
The European Union: More united than ever | Opinion | EL PAÍS English Edition
Showing posts with label United. Show all posts
Showing posts with label United. Show all posts
7/23/21
EU: Why not recreate the European Community? -by Koert Debeuf
The EU leaders know that the union needs some reforms and therefore created the Conference on the Future of Europe.
However, they said from the outset that there is no room for treaty change. But the question is if a fundamental treaty change is not exactly what the EU needs to get out of the choppy waters?
Is it not time to acknowledge a few new realities and turn some weaknesses into some strengths?
Read more at: Why not recreate the European Community?
However, they said from the outset that there is no room for treaty change. But the question is if a fundamental treaty change is not exactly what the EU needs to get out of the choppy waters?
Is it not time to acknowledge a few new realities and turn some weaknesses into some strengths?
Read more at: Why not recreate the European Community?
1/26/18
EU - Davos: New momentum for Europe?
US President Donald Trump wants to put America first. And China isnot exactly a champion of democracy and human rights. That's why someEuropeans think it's time for them to step up to the plate and play a more important role on the world stage. In their speeches in Davos, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron both spoke out for free trade, international rules and universal humanist values.
The only problem is that the EU itself is deeply divided. The financial crisis has left deep scars, unemployment is high in many countries, the migration crisis has strained relations between member states and nationalism is on the rise.
Nonetheless, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström believes that Europe has a lot to offer to the rest of the world. She sees the current lack of leadership by the US as an opportunity for the EU "to show we can do good trade agreements which re sustainable and mutually beneficial.
We can promote European values through that, and we can create alliances and friendship with countriesacross the globe," Malmström said in a Davos panel called "A new momentum for Europe."
Mark Rutte, prime minister of the Netherlands, agreed in principle but added that even the European common market was still far from complete.
"We could add €1.5 trillion [$1.86 trilion] to the European economy — that's the size of the Spanish economy — by implementing the single market for digital, services, capital and
energy."
Adding these elements would create 4 million new jobs in Europe. "At the moment, we are not doing that. The European internal market is only there for goods, only 30 percent of the European economy is part of the internal market," said Rutte.
Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa tried to look on the bright side of life.
After the Brexit decision in the UK, "we have new energy for change in Europe," he said. "It's a Brexit paradox: the remaining 27 countries have made an effort to advance Europe."
Costa pointed to a closer cooperation on defense, an example that was also singled out by Merkel and Macron on the previous day.
But a Germany and a France presenting themselves as Europe's engine also have smaller countries worried, says Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. "We don't want to see meetings in Paris and Berlin where only countries with more than 40 million people are invited to attend — and the smaller countries being told afterwards what is good for Europe."
The current migration crisis has brought to light how deep the divisions in Europe are. Countries like Hungary and Poland are refusing to take in migrants, while Italy and Greece see new boats with Africans arrive at their shores every day.
Read more: Davos: New momentum for Europe? | Business| Economy and finance news from a German perspective | DW | 25.01.2018
The only problem is that the EU itself is deeply divided. The financial crisis has left deep scars, unemployment is high in many countries, the migration crisis has strained relations between member states and nationalism is on the rise.
Nonetheless, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström believes that Europe has a lot to offer to the rest of the world. She sees the current lack of leadership by the US as an opportunity for the EU "to show we can do good trade agreements which re sustainable and mutually beneficial.
We can promote European values through that, and we can create alliances and friendship with countriesacross the globe," Malmström said in a Davos panel called "A new momentum for Europe."
Mark Rutte, prime minister of the Netherlands, agreed in principle but added that even the European common market was still far from complete.
"We could add €1.5 trillion [$1.86 trilion] to the European economy — that's the size of the Spanish economy — by implementing the single market for digital, services, capital and
energy."
Adding these elements would create 4 million new jobs in Europe. "At the moment, we are not doing that. The European internal market is only there for goods, only 30 percent of the European economy is part of the internal market," said Rutte.
Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa tried to look on the bright side of life.
After the Brexit decision in the UK, "we have new energy for change in Europe," he said. "It's a Brexit paradox: the remaining 27 countries have made an effort to advance Europe."
Costa pointed to a closer cooperation on defense, an example that was also singled out by Merkel and Macron on the previous day.
But a Germany and a France presenting themselves as Europe's engine also have smaller countries worried, says Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. "We don't want to see meetings in Paris and Berlin where only countries with more than 40 million people are invited to attend — and the smaller countries being told afterwards what is good for Europe."
The current migration crisis has brought to light how deep the divisions in Europe are. Countries like Hungary and Poland are refusing to take in migrants, while Italy and Greece see new boats with Africans arrive at their shores every day.
Read more: Davos: New momentum for Europe? | Business| Economy and finance news from a German perspective | DW | 25.01.2018
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