What kind of Europe are we in after five years of Juncker Commission, of an European Parliament leaded by PPE and PSE, of no less than fifty governments that have succeeded one another in the 28 chancelleries? A smaller, more fragile Europe. Certainly, given the blows it has received, it is perhaps already a great success that it is still standing but, in the end, the European Council whose mandate ends today sounds more as a requiem than a cheerful goodbye to President Jean-Claude Juncker and an optimistic welcome to the new president Ursula von der Leyen.
The Council said farewell (for the second and perhaps not the last time) to the United Kingdom. This is not entirely an European fault, most part of the work had been done by David Cameron when he, almost four years ago, called an unfortunate referendum to separate his country from the Union. The European Commission and the European leaders decided thai it was better not to “interfere”, and the result of the 2016 vote showed that it was a mistake, a serious mistake. The referendum, from the point of view of the EU, was lost, and certainly if they had decided to participate in that campaign, even discreetly, without appearing to “interfere”, it could not have been worse. But perhaps, given the thin margin in favor of the winners, an intervention of truth against lies generously distributed by Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson, could have done some good. Little Europe chose to stay out of it and lost an important piece of the Union. The “sadness” now heralded by the leaders in view of the separation looks a lot like crocodile tears, as they are blaming someone else. Certainly not the cry of pain of Leonidas, the last of the “300”, ready to fight until dying, pierced by dozens of arrows to defend his homeland.
We will have an European Union of 27, no more of 28, like five years ago. A little smaller.
This is only the most striking defeat, but perhaps not the most serious. There could be more to say about the inability to keep the promises made to Albania and Northern Macedonia, two important Balkan countries that have literally made “somersaults” to adhere to the demands of reform advanced by Brussels in exchange for the opening of an accession process to the Union? France says no, and without unanimity enlargement cannot be done. Other governments, like the Italian, to defend their interests, are instead ready to start accession negotiations for two countries which, according to many observers, have made such and many reforms of the judicial system, in the fight against corruption, make them even better then some member States. Paris wants a smaller Europe to be able to have more power in Brussels, but the result is that one country, just one country, is keeping all the others in check. And the Union becomes smaller, because it does not know how to grow .
But there is more. The crisis in Northern Syria – with the Turkish invasion of the territory where there are (where there were) so many of those Kurds who helped the Western countries to defeat ISIS – took place in the total lack of the Union European. A crisis on our doorstep upon wich we have not been able to exercise a minimum of influence, that has seen an authoritarian regional leader dealing on an equal footing with the presidents of the United States and Russia, completely bypassing the 28 (or 27).
EU is smaller also regarding the budget. The result of today’s Council will be that Member States have no enthusiasm to put on the table some extra money, to do policies together, to help those who are late, to give more breathing space and tools to common action, to weigh in more in the so-called “international scene”. The departure of Great Britain will be resolved not in a proud relaunch, but in a fearful entrenchment.
A smaller Europe therefore not only for the length of its borders, but also within and beyond them.
