Nationalism becomes enemy of Europe
Following the blocking of the constitution, the future of the EU suddenly seems amorphous and uncertain. But it shouldn’t. Pro-Europeans should ask themselves three questions: Do we want a Europe that stands up for its values in the world? Do we want a Europe that is economically strong? Do we want a Europe that is fair and socially just? The questions are close to rhetorical, because everyone who wishes the EU to succeed must answer positively to all three.
Various quite concrete consequences follow. If Europe is to be heard and valued on the world scene, we cannot declare an end to enlargement; nor can we leave the EU’s system of governance as it is. Enlargement is the union’s most powerful foreign-policy tool, a means of promoting the spread of peace, democracy and open markets. There is virtually no hope of stabilising the Balkans, for example, if the prospect of EU accession is cut off. The eruption of further conflict there would be a disaster. The EU will also lose massive potential influence geopolitically if it decides to keep Turkey out. Turkey itself may become riven with conflicts. According to the latest opinion polls, support inside Turkey is waning in the face of the hostility some member states have towards the country’s potential accession. Similar considerations apply to governance. The EU cannot play an effective global role without more political innovation. The proposal to have a single EU foreign minister should be kept in play. More effective means of taking mutual decisions are needed than the cumbersome method left over from the Nice agreements. And the proposals in the constitution to have more consultation with national parliaments before EU policies are instituted are surely both democratic and sensible. Political and diplomatic influence, however, always reflect economic weight. It is here above all that pro-Europeans must urge the commission and the leaders of member states to action. We know that the “no” votes in France and the Netherlands were motivated substantially by social and economic anxieties — anxieties that fed into the larger fears noted above. Despite its other successes, the European Union is simply not performing well enough economically. It has much lower growth levels than the US, not to mention less developed countries such as India and China. There are 20 million unemployed in the EU, and a further 93 million economically inactive people, many of whom would want to work if they could.
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