Battle under way for soul of 'United States of Europe'

Star economists and former national leaders now happily argue that resolving the eurozone debt crisis will eventually demand the surrendering of sovereignty to create a fully-fledged United States of Europe.
However, as they press for the political integration they say is needed to prevent the currency union collapsing on an Achilles heel of Greek debt, even advocates in unguarded moments admit resistance to the surrender of national sovereignty is rising.

Either Europe moves forward to "political union," Nobel Prize-winning economist Nouriel Roubini said in Brussels on Monday, or the result will be "eventual disintegration, break-up."

Roubini was speaking at the launch of a manifesto by the self-appointed "Council for the Future of Europe," a think tank set up by Nicolas Berggruen, the billionaire son of a famed German-Jewish art collector.

For more: AFP: Battle under way for soul of 'United States of Europe'