The challenges facing a united Europe will no doubt be the defining chapter on the book of Multinational Unity. Many love to joke that unity in a continent that sparked two world wars is unsustainable. I remain hopeful.
As someone who is of European descent, Greek actually, I cannot help but remain hopeful that what is often looked upon as a Union is really a federation of nation states desperate to avoid the mistakes of the past.
It’s really all about policy and the commitment each nation has to uphold it while not betraying their own national identity. Greece, Italy, France and Germany are only four of the twenty seven nations comprising this union. The issues that plague them as a consequence of being part of a collective are no different than the ones that plague them as a nation state.
• Are the economically established nations fair toward the developing ones?
• Are legislative challenges addressed expeditiously in Brussels?
• Are the rules of the union reflective of the principals that define each nation state?
The EU struggles with these and hundreds more challenges everyday. Many fear that in their commitment to address all concerns through a central body, they are falling under the weight of a massively complicated and increasingly unresponsive bureaucracy and nation states outside the EU may use this deficiency to a tactical trade advantage.
Most of you know that I’m very much an advocate of the Constitution of the United States. The idea of Federalism is irresistible to me. It is as close to perfection that I have ever seen because it is ultimately voluntary and self-correcting as long as the people remain informed.
The Framers wanted government to run at a slow pace for good reason. They felt that in order to give the dream of individual social and economic liberty a chance, they would have to create a system of government with the types of checks and balances that would halt any manipulation of this Constitution by rash and fad idealism that will benefit some while depriving others – as is the case today in the U.S. on a massive scale. Europe is not immune to this threat to their unity either.
The EU acknowledges that a nation signing up for EU membership cannot control his constituents if they grow dissatisfied with the central government. They seem intent on achieving the same goal of slow moving government.
Is the EU decentralized? I believe many interests fight for this everyday and so long as those voices are never suppressed, then there should be hope for this collective body as long as they remain a collective in the loosest sense of the word.
Their open borders policy is a dream for many. As a citizen of a member country, you can travel without dreadful border checks. You can just drive through into any given country of the Eurozone. At the airport, there is a special line for EU citizens apart from the regular customs check line of non-EU citizens.
You can surmise which one is faster.
Say what you want about the challenges facing this body. I certainly will air my criticisms and thankfully there remains a cultivation of opposition voices on many policies. However, one thing you have to admit as an EU citizen;
Membership has its privileges.
Also, citizens of countries that can freely sell their manpower and products with other nations in the spirit of competition and honesty usually don’t trade bombs and bullets.
I’ll take competitive trade over war any day.
