Modern Hanseatic league rather than superstate?

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deleted:baalhadadMon 18/02/08 17:35

A thought-provoking piece in today's Times reflecting the wider trend of devolution and separatism within the EU:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/tim_hames/article3386162.ece

#55080Mon 18/02/08 18:13

The new Europe that has emerged so suddenly demands something closer to a modern Hanseatic League than a Brussels-based one-size-fits-all formula.

This rather overlooks the point that it was the "one-size-fits-all formula" that enabled the new Europe to come about. Accession was the draw, but the terms of accession made the reforms that enable the new countries to succeed in the new Europe.

jochenMon 18/02/08 19:10

I guess one has to remember that when the new united Europe was thought about by the likes of Charles de Gaule and Konrad Adenauer back in the fifties of the last century it was the idea of France and Germany living in peace together which was central to the plan.

In those days it was also not quite conceivable for the 'actors' of the day to imagine that the then Soviet Union would break up that quickly and introduce a raft of States to the European Union of which at least my generation (born 1948) in western Europe knew very little if anything about.

And those were the days and prevailing ideas which lead to the 'birth' of Brussels. I would agree that we have moved past that stage quite some time ago and "Brussels" as a term which describes the 'old' thinking about a unified Europe needs some urgent updating.

The Times article is an 'atlantic' view of things. And I guess formulates to some extent the never ending puzzlement of the US as to what this weird Europe is going to do next.

One thing, I think, is clear, Europe will never be a 'static' entity clearly defined for centuries to come (also an idea the UK has to come to grips with) But in that, as I see it, lies the strength and 'fun' that is Europe as a united - and I use that term very broadly - entity in this world.

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