Back in the late fifties, a few European
States joined forces forming the EEC (European Economic Community).
Throughout the last decades, many other countries have joined this
highly attractive club due to the innumerable advantages that creating a
common European culture ought to bring. Being able to enjoy freedoms in
the areas of trading, transport and cultural exchange is a reality that
was an unthinkable luxury not so long ago.
Some of the biggest advances towards a
European complete unification were made thanks politics that had
convenience in mind. For instance, it is thanks to the Schengen
Agreement that us Europeans have been able to seamlessly travel across
any EU member’s frontiers for three decades now. This facilitates free
trade and transit of people by an unconceivable amount. On top of that,
the creation of the common currency, the Euro, crowns the project of a
common European market. Currency exchange was confined to the pages of
history.
It must be pointed out that the European
alliance is not only a matter of comfort and convenience: it is also
very clearly a necessity. Being unified in a European Federation (the
United States of Europe, if you will) would bring a new chance of
confronting the future world powers. It is a known fact that Asia will
basically rule the markets in a few decades, that’s why it is decisive
to act collectively in order to avoid economic incompetence. A European
Federation would be the home of more than 450 million citizens, more
than the USA and Russia combined. On top of that, it would produce 25%
of the world’s wealth and therefore could get to be considered a
heavyweight in world trade and economic influence. It seems like a
perfect plan, doesn’t it?
The list goes on. There are many issues
that cannot be fought efficiently by each country individually, but that
can be actively eliminated under a joint venture of powers. For
instance, energetic dependence is one of the biggest problems our
nations are facing. We simply cannot afford to depend on foreign
unstable States for such important concern. Also, it must be pointed out
that Islamic terrorism currently supposes a considerable threat to our
freedoms and liberties. An imminent reaction is required, and the most
powerful it is, the better. Finally, immigration: an issue that not only
concerns the southernmost States but also Europe as a whole. These are
only a few of the obstacles that an alliance of States could help
eradicate. If union makes strength, then federalism makes invincibility.
As the Spanish Secretary of State for the
European Union, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo recently stated on a visit to the
University of Navarra, during the harsh years of recession the EU
members have given up some of their sovereignty in exchange for
stability. By yielding power to Brussels, it is true that governments
lose some of their power. However, central supervision has proven to be
quite positive in terms of security and therefore it has been proven
that the upper European government can handle major issues such as
economic policy. The next predictable evolution will be a unification of
the members’ fiscal policies in order to simplify legal issues by a
great amount.
The final step towards definitive federal
centralization is still a long time away. There are countless sharp
edges that need being taken care of, especially in the social and
cultural side. However, we will most likely see a time in history when
the citizens of the European Union decide to face the rest of the world
together as a team, forgetting about our differences and focusing on
competence and prosperity. How does that sound?
