On 14th of September, the home ministers of EU nations failed to agree on the mandatory quotas to share the number of refugees. They will meet soon again but Chancellor Markel already asked for an extraordinary summit of the EU Heads of State. Donald Tusk the former PM of Poland and now the President of the European Council, the Heads of State EU forum will decide by Thursday about holding such a summit.
As a reaction to the failure, the German Home Minister De Maiziere started talking about new ways to build pressure on the eastern European countries against the mandatory quota. He actually threatened to suspend EU funding to those countries, the same aid that was instrumental in building the modern democracies that are now following the fall of the Berlin wall.
It was reported on Euractiv, a specialized web site that Czech Prime Minister Robert Fico said such a step would mean"the end of the EU".
I bet he is right or better this would lead to the end of the EU as we know now. It is high time to rethink the nature of the EU and forge ahead a truly political union among the members who have adopted the Euro as common currency.
The EU finance ministers have started discussing ways to strengthen the economic and banking union based on a roadmap prepared by the heads of the EU institutions. It is no more a taboo talking about a European finance minister and I think this could work if such position would remain within the European Commission.
On many fronts we are already a Confederation. The leaders of the EU founding nations, a small group of six pioneer states (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) should hold discussions among themselves and specialists of European law to frame the way forward. The President of the EU Commission, Junker, a hard core proponent of a stronger political union, should play an important role.
This is not a project of the elites only. We need political courage to set an ambitious 10 year plan to move ahead with creating the basis for a truly political union.
Here are some ideas on areas that could be “federalized”:
Foreign Affairs
-France should give up its Security Council seat at the UN to give space to the future political union. As a compromise, there will be an agreement to have a French representative as Ambassador of the union at the UN
-The Internatioanl Aid cooperation managed by different members could be immediately merged and be managed by the Commission that has already vast expertise on this
-Open European Houses all around the world: initially these can work as cultural centers but within 10 years they could represent the diplomatic house of the political union. Different members might keep a special section representing their own particular affairs under one European roof. This common European embassy project could be started in small nations that are not so geopolitically important
-A European Army: nothing new in this proposal. What’s the point to waster money in a multitude of armies when we all rely on our big brother, the USA.
More Democracy
-Let’s elect the President of the European Commission: This year the voters for the first time had a clear idea on the candidates for this position. Let’s move ahead with the next logical step.
- A stronger European Parliament: I disagree with the idea of giving more powers to national parliaments. The EU Parliament should be given more powers and be effectively able to legislate but on a limited number of issues.
A real common market
How long will it take to have truly European telecommunication operators? Well after all we already have VODAFONE for example but it still works through national operations. When would it be easy to buy a car in another member country?
A truly common health system
On paper a European patient can be treated in another member country but the process is too cumbersome and complicated. Let’s politically push for a common health system where European citizens can really have options within a united system of health care providers
Let’s push fast and strong on the economic union
The road map is already there. Consensus is being forged on the most contentious issues related to the banking union. You can really see the light here at the end of the tunnel
Promotion of English language
This is fundamental. All European citizens must become proficient in one common language, English. It is a no brainer.
Strengthen higher education policy
Huge steps have already been made on this. Simply think of Erasmus students. Ideally every European student should be in a position to simply consider studying in a university outside her own country. Also here the Erasmus generation can help make the case for a stronger European educational system at the university level
These are just some ideas. The eastern members, the British and Scandinavians will be an integral part of the economic union but the pathway for the Euro nations is clear and more straightforward then many think. After all there are no other chances.
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