EU er en svag konstruktion, der ikke fungerer. Der er sprækker i sammenholdet og flere og flere EU-lande handler nationalt. EU er ganske vist ikke sunket i grus, men overlevelse er efterhånden unionens eneste succeskriterium.
Hvis der ikke sker dramatiske reformer, vil EU-projektet falde mere og mere fra hinanden. Frankrigs finansminister Brune le Maire har for nylig udtalt følgende til det amerikanske Time Magazine: ”Jeg tror oprigtig, at den europæiske konstruktion kan bryde sammen”.
De store udfordringer og ubalancer fortsætter, og der er ingen løsning i sigte. Læs hvad The Economist skriver om EU-landenes indbyrdes kampe på det udenrigspolitiske område:
”As recent events in North Africa show, the European co-operation quickly ends where it collides with national impulses. France has oil interests in the part of Libya controlled by General Haftar. Rome’s interests centre on Tripoli and migrant-prone Mediterranean coast. So France backs General Haftar and Italy backs the Libyan government.
Europe is divided. Likewise, the EU’s recent summit with China belied growing bilateral links between southern and eastern European states and Beijing. And last month Italian objections prevented the EU from backing the popular uprising in Venezuela.
Crises near home are even more divisive. Germany is still promoting NordStream2, a gas pipeline that will increase Russia’s power over countries like Poland.
Spain frustrates efforts to guide Balkan states towards EU membership. Spain does, however, back Turkish EU membership, whereas Austria viscerally opposes that and others have doubts.
Ms Mogherini’s monthly meetings with EU foreign ministers are quests to find the lowest common denominator.
Slow progress towards common defence procurement, let alone a shared doctrine, renders loose talk about a European army ridiculous.
Today’s challenges are dramatic, but not sufficiently so to forge a single narrative for the EU. So its foreign policy remains hopelessly underpowered, limited to coaxing national capitals towards agreement and supporting their ad hoc initiatives”.