The Road to a United Europe
Christian D. de Fouloy / Paul Rübig,
London - Warschau - Brüssel 2004
Nearly fifty years have passed and the small community of six has grown into a larger Union of 25 Member States. When ten countries of central, eastern and southern Europe join the European Union on May 1st 2004, this will mark the end of the division of a continent and strenghten democracy and economy strenght all over Europe. It is an unparallel success history.
This book considers how enlargement is likely to accentuate cleavages within the EU by defining new poles of influence based on historical, cultural, geographic and economic patterns. It is widely accepted that the swift towards Central Europe will strenghten Germany´s political, economic and geographical role in the center. On the other hand, on the Southern flank, the EU Member States around the Mediterranean have a growing concern relating to development in the Maghbreb countries. Can the Union afford to close its eyes to such developments ?
This book stresses that enlargement will most certainly increase interstate bargains and reinforce the importance of national powers and interests. Each Member State will view cooperation through the lens of its policy preferences and ideological and geostrategic approach will mirror national interests.
It is to be expected that New Member States will behave just as selfishly as the old Member States.
What factors will determine the role of Member States within the EU 25 ?
Who will be the winners and loosers as money and markets flow in different directions ?
Will the integration process benefit all players in the long run ?
This book raises some important geostrategic implications that need be understood beyond the rhetoric of "uniting Europe".