“We’re going through the most rapid phase of European unification since WW2”. The European Union’s silent revolution and transformation into a new superpower



Posted by EUstrongerthanUS

18 comments

  1. SS: An interesting discussion between Marc De Vos, author of “Superpower Europe: The European Union’s Silent Revolution”, and European Policy Studies Association Secretary-General Jim Cloos. The talk focuses on the place of the European Union in the world, its potential to rival the major powers and the (silent) step-by-step integration process of the ever-closer Union which is always sped up by global events. The EU has effectively become a confederation. Only a few steps left for a federation. 

  2. Europe better make it quick otherwise there will no longer be a bastion for freedom and democracy. If Europe is slow to act the choice is authoritarian China or unstable USA.

    The silver lining in all this chaos is EU federalization has more chance now than ever. Back in university I wrote a paper on the concept of a supranational entity like the UN but using the EU framework as a prototype for a global government maintaining a bit of individual sovereignty but is more cohesive politically and economically.

    If EU succeeds in unifying it will be the pilot for a world government that will make sure there will no longer be rogue nations like the US and China disturbing global peace and prosperity whilst preserving individual member states identity and culture.

  3. No chance, europe is too divided, too bureaucratised and most damaging of all doesn’t acknowledge either of those problems. The trump elections might have pushed back the far right in Europe but give it another elections cycle and europe will be back where it started.

  4. It feels like some newspapers as writing everything that pops up in their heads lately.

    Canada is seriously considering joining the EU ? Come on, really ?

    The EU is about to become a super power ? Come on, really ?

    We are divided. I am not saying it will never happen or could never happen. But the fact remain that we still are super divided and we could be even more after any election in any EU countries.

  5. Now they need to fix their aging demographics to sustain this. VAT Breaks for Babies!

  6. A superpower based on debt strapped economies in de-industrialized energy importing nations?

    *Please*. This is deeply unserious.

    Bag-holders is more like it.

  7. I’m not sure I would call it a superpower but a very strong regional power.

  8. The US has retracted tariffs after the EU announced its countermeasures. Europe has a lot of power even in its current (still reduced) state. A fully integrated Europe will be a real superpower.

  9. Highly regarded stuff, it was already a super power, some countries in itself are a superpower it’s a superpower clusterfuck. I would like to say more but then it will get deleted.

  10. I feel like it will be over the course of the next few years that we will get an idea of where the EU is likely to go.

    The bloc is experiencing a lot of turmoil right now, and from a historical POV that is likely going to be the best circumstances for a more federal EU to emerge, and I think the bloc has already been moving in that direction.

    I think ultimately it will depend on if the sentiment for autonomy remains once things calm down. Like will the EU still be looking to create a defence framework and industry without the US, even if a Democratic president comes into the White House and wants to reestablish the trans-Atlantic relationship? Or will people and governments still be so willing to keep spending 2%-3.5% of GDP on defence if the Russia-Ukraine conflict ends? Personally I think it’s a lot more likely than what many people seem to think based on what has been happening lately and how the EU is trying to respond to it, but then again it wouldn’t be the first time where Europe has chosen to keep things comfortable at the expence of autonomy instead of doing the hard work and being more secure as a result.

    I’m more optimistic than I’ve been in the past, but I think it’s still to soon to get my hopes up.

  11. This is a joke. Europe spent Millenia fighting and somehow they are going to come together now? Spaniards and Slovaks have nothing in common. Estonians and the Portugese and not the same at all. Their interests and national security concerns are worlds apart. Unless you have a unified system, it ain’t happening.

  12. This will never work if we don’t take action against social media companies, who are the main vectors of Russian and American hibrid warfare and disinformation.

  13. How was Europe unified during WW2? It seems half sided with the Nazis; i.e, Italy, Austria, bottom half of France, and the rest opposed them.

  14. I predict a rise in national power among certain EU states (plus UK), though greater inter-state friction in the EU itself.

  15. Try as they might, you can’t get over the reality that this isn’t one country, but that it’s 20+. They can’t compete with the central planning that China and the US have. They may align on a lot, but they also have a lot of different interests. 

    I can’t see them ever moving as a block. Maybe some of the Eastern European countries can (like a Soviet Union without Russia…lol)

  16. I have a sneaky suspicion that, the minute the EU becomes a legitimate superpower, WW3 kicks off. Luckily it most likely won’t be fought on the European continent this time.

  17. Just a reminder that both world wars were started between European countries. The US, via Nato, managed to keep them playing nicely. Question is is can they keep that unification on their own. Remember they aren’t different states but rather different countries.. Each with different priorities, cultures and economies.

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