Politics and Press

Le déclin de l’empire européen

It should be Europe’s century. But ten years into it looks like the idealistic hopes imbedded in the idea of a united European state – first dreamed up half a century ago by its most powerful economic powers Germany and France – have shrunk as the stupendous debts of Greece grow. As it is, the European Union has the world’s largest economy, the largest number of soldiers under arms, and the largest budget for foreign aid. But you would never know it, as the economy does not work with any efficiency as the Germans once again found out as they were forced to bail out a profligate family member living far beyond its means with the lion’s share of the rescue, a tidy little cheque for $123 billion (yes, with a b) allowing Greeks to begin getting their pensions half a dozen years before Germans do. With much larger economies than Greece’s next in line – Spain, with 20% unemployment, Portugal, Ireland, all the East European states, maybe even Italy, and then there is the UK, which will have to learn to live with a massive debt – Prime Minister Merkel indicated in no uncertain terms that Germany’s patience with its unruly family, is running out. She had to be convinced that the bankruptcy of Greece could not be tolerated as the two countries share a common currency – the rapidly plunging Euro – and that Germany would have to pay the bill.

Similarly the EU military potential isn’t worth a tinker’s damn as all those soldiers are governed by individual national, not EU, structures and concerns, and there is no such thing as an EU armed forces. When one looks at Europe objectively these days, only Germany and the Scandinavian countries – and Norway has never joined the EU – and to a lesser extent France and the Benelux countries, are prospering economically and socially, and EU status has benefitted Poland. But the general effect has been an ever deepening gap between poor and rich members of what is supposed to be a united union, an expanding unwillingness for the haves to bail out the have-nots and an ever-growing suspicion that this will ultimately result in the decline and fall of a noble experiment.