The country’s top-tier EU dominated by the smaller States and impose its political course, the idea of European unity is losing supporters among politicians and ordinary citizens, writes the Irish journalist Brian MacDonald.
Just ten years ago EU membership was so appealing that even such rich countries like Switzerland and Norway, considered the possibility of joining the bloc. Who would have thought that in 2016 the President of the European Commission will say that the European Union threatens the “existential crisis”, said the journalist.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel imposed on all other EU member States immigration policies, the foreign Minister of Luxembourg called on to expel Hungary from the EU for refusing to accept migrants, and Austria, apparently, is unable to organize elections, says McDonald. At the same time, one of the possible candidates for the post of Bishop of Rome Christoph schönborn warns Catholics that Muslims expect Islamic conquest of Europe.” Bosnian Serbs demand independence from Sarajevo and Zagreb, in turn, has threatened measures to “protect ethnic Croats in Bosnia.
“Of course, all this may presage a crisis, so the British decided to do without apprehension and just voted to secede from the block. Their neighbors in Ireland <…> also suddenly questioned the need to maintain the membership in the EU, as Brussels puts pressure on Dublin in Association with the Irish taxation system. If these arguments are not enough, the skeptics, judging by the polls, gaining popularity in Italy and the Netherlands, and in France marine Le Pen proposes to hold a referendum on Frexit” — like a journalist.
According to him, the problem lies in the fact that the EU is expanding too quickly, taking the structure of the organization relatively poor countries in Eastern Europe.
“For example, in 2013 Brussels reached for the Ukraine at the time when it became clear that public opinion in the European Union, fed up with new members of the EU. When you look back, the presence of the representative of the United Kingdom to the European Commission Catherine Ashton on the Maidan seems ludicrous, because now we all know that the position of the United Kingdom to the EU was shaky,” — said in the article.
Another cause of the problems in the European Union based on the fact that liberal politicians see the EU as an instrument for democracy promotion, however, when the elected leaders are pursuing a policy which they didn’t like, the response will be undemocratic.
“We saw this in Ukraine in 2013, when former President Viktor Yanukovich rejected the Association agreement, which was unfavorable for the country from a financial point of view. Instead of respecting his authority, the Eurocrats to lust after her has contributed to his dismissal by violent revolution,” stresses McDonald.
The EU expanded too quickly and now Brussels is reaping the fruits of expansion, because the EU institutions are unable to cope with the situation, sums up the journalist.
