The EU needs unity, where constraints such as the common currency require it – but more respect for the diversity of the nation States and their importance for democracy.
There was a time when technical questions were asked, rather, when speaking of Europe was. Butter mountains and milk lakes created by the Brussels Agricultural subsidies, should be reduced thanks to other subsidies for the produce of Butter and milk. Who should understand? You had to, you left it to a dear technocrats.
That all changed as Europe’s common external borders and a currency. Now it was political, and the sound is toxic.
Because money and limitations are what actually constitutes the state. So hardly anyone understood at the time, the revolutionary consequence. A TRANS-national Structure took over the functions which, until then, the essence of the nation-state represented. For this perspective remained as the future, a little more than the role of a provincial administration in the context of a much larger political entity.
The Shrinkage of self-determination
Because this is not addressed prior to the decision, really, in the social discourse has not been discussed, could not digest it, the citizens also. To many of them realized: whoops, here has changed, but something Serious. Still, the citizens chose their governments, but these governments – and the voters – have always had less design space to their destiny as the society itself. EU meant so, so many people, less self-determination felt it.
The big shock moments of this insight are precisely datable. The Euro-crisis, from 2009, showed the Greeks that they did not have a Chance to find another way out of the misery to as the, the, the EU pretended to be you. And the refugee crisis in 2015, showed those companies that did not want immigration, that the Greater goods in the EU are willing to force you by “majority vote” to it – through mandatory Redistribution of quotas for refugees.
This attempt of the transnational exercise of power against the will of national parliaments and their voters was the Wake-up call for those who wanted to be able to determine the path of their countries themselves.
The East knows, freedom only for 30 years
Are we in the Eastern part of Europe. We enjoy our freedom as a society, since historically short period of time, since we abschüttelten the yoke of the TRANS-national structure “the Eastern bloc” 30 years ago. This freedom to decide for themselves, we don’t want to give up again. The resistance of Hungary and other countries in the Region showed the limits of “Integration”: Europe is not yet really “Union”. The refugee quota failed.
How much TRANS-national unit, how much the national freedom does not need the EU so that they fly apart, but also the companies enough freedom?
There are constraints that do not commit to unit, because the thing works otherwise. The Euro: Who has it, can’t make their own monetary policy. To engage Mature requires, otherwise, the consequences can be explosive. This also applies to common external borders. If you don’t understand that an irresponsible budget can undermine policy, or a weak border protection of not only the own country but the whole EU, needs to learn – or from the Schengen or Eurozone exit.
More respect from Brussels for the East
In the meantime, it seems clear that this learning process is not yet complete. Logical conclusion: The EU should not take on more core functions of the nation-States, to clarify the scope of prediction in the social discourse. A common unemployment insurance scheme, a European minimum wage policy, European taxes, a European army with a Loyalty-oath to the blue Flag, a majority of stronger countries coalitions of weaker countries can suppress decisions in which, without the social acceptance of any negative side-effects for individual countries lead to radical steps at some point to political explosions. A weakening instead of a strengthening of Europe can be the result.
“Unity in diversity” is the Motto of the Union. In the political trench warfare is often forget that with “diversity” the national States are meant. Terms such as “national” and “nation-state” are used by advocates of an integrated Europe, more, sometimes, like bad words. The diversity of the nation States: In the tone of the Brussels discourse, there needs to be a lot more respect for it.
The nation state is the framework in which democracy can best work. The EU is historically bring the most prosperity to you started as an economic Union. The often in the position placed on the market talk that the EU stands for solidarity and democracy, the nation-state, for nationalism is ideological nonsense. The EU is the marketplace, on the democratic member States represented according to mutually agreed rules of their interests and political exchange transactions, so to compromise. But for their national interests, they all fight, always tough.
That is a good thing. Because there are the interests of the voters and citizens. That is democracy.
Boris kálnokys, Born in 1961, reported as a Hungarian correspondent, based in Budapest for the daily newspaper “die Welt” and other German media.