The more members the EU has and the more difficult finding consensus becomes, the more attractive the idea has gotten over the years.
It could also be a solution for integrating non-EU countries on the periphery like the UK, Norway or Ukraine by having different levels of integration, making it easier for those who are more sceptical about integration to move at a slower pace, or those who are not ready for full integration yet.
It’s not a bad idea per se, but has some issues, as in the *perception* of a “second class” EU membership, for example. More importantly, it should not be a distraction from very necessary reforms of the EU like expanding qualified majority voting at the expense of national vetoes.
Lovely seeing the truth behind all those fancy words about solidarity and European values.
Bots out in full force today trying to make this pass as a bad thing. This is leadership by example and will pull everyone else up by the wealth it generates.
Two of the slowest growing economies of Europe push for a “two speed” Europe
A two speed Europe will kill cooperation and solidarity by allowing member states to ignore the needs of others when it gets inconvenient for them.
All members are equal. Some are more equal than others.
That’s the way forward IMO.
Pure federation is maybe a little bit too soon, Switzerland is for example a “loose” federation called a confederation, that could be a way forward.
Ad hoc coalition are great and would allow to move forward, test new ideas and quickly bring other into if working well.
Two speed eu is a bad idea
Why not just go with two thirds majority takes the vote. Having everyone agree is how you ruin anything, even a family vacation.
Not adding Belgium to the core seems like a mistake, since it’s basically a founding member of the EU and also has Brussels the EU capital and within it a lot of EU governing bodies like the EU parliament.
I don’t really expect this to go anywhere but I don’t understand the people complaining. If a country doesn’t want deeper integration they can just stay where they are, why should they be able to prevent other countries from integrating if, hypothetically, they wanted to?
That is a great way to give fuel to all the “we are second class citizens” parties in EU.
The optics of this are really bad. Furthermore it looks like a cop out of reforming the treaties and eventually federalising the EU.
I don’t think it is a malicious act, though. German politicians are simply that short sighted.
This is actually something that’s a de facto reality already. I mean as long as countries like Poland and Sweden aren’t Eurozone members, they frankly aren’t full members.
Good this EU must die, federal Europe now!
Sounds familiar, where have I heard this before… oh yes!
Wait for cry babies Baltic States crying that they are not part of E6.
Oh boy, really not looking forward to that.
It’s more like a coalition of 6 largest EU economies with the most seats in EU institutions forming and pushing projects together rather than a “two speed Europe” to be honest. Especially given that apparently Poland is part of it, and Poland doesn’t even use euro currency nor plan on adopting it in the near future.
In short term it might be a good idea for the six wealthy countries. But it will destroy the EU after a while. For real success in the long term we all need to work togheter! That’s the best option.
More top down enforcement from the EU. Let federalist parties win big in at least a couple elections, before making such plans.
so EU within the EU? seriously bad move.
If this means more probabilities for a federal union between the “first ones” for me is great and also will give to the other nations the backbone to improve until they will (if they want) enter in it
The EU should federalize instead. If nationalisms and particularisms win, Europe is cooked in the competition with the US and China.
28 comments
link not working
So basically on one hand the real europe and in the other the freeloaders?
Useful for progress, risky for unity. That’s the trade-off with a two-speed Europe.
Definitely a bad idea, this will make the union collapse in short time.
“Two-speed” or “[multi-speed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-speed_Europe)” Europe or “Kerneuropa” is an old idea that came up in the 1990s already.
The more members the EU has and the more difficult finding consensus becomes, the more attractive the idea has gotten over the years.
It could also be a solution for integrating non-EU countries on the periphery like the UK, Norway or Ukraine by having different levels of integration, making it easier for those who are more sceptical about integration to move at a slower pace, or those who are not ready for full integration yet.
It’s not a bad idea per se, but has some issues, as in the *perception* of a “second class” EU membership, for example. More importantly, it should not be a distraction from very necessary reforms of the EU like expanding qualified majority voting at the expense of national vetoes.
Lovely seeing the truth behind all those fancy words about solidarity and European values.
Bots out in full force today trying to make this pass as a bad thing. This is leadership by example and will pull everyone else up by the wealth it generates.
Two of the slowest growing economies of Europe push for a “two speed” Europe
A two speed Europe will kill cooperation and solidarity by allowing member states to ignore the needs of others when it gets inconvenient for them.
All members are equal. Some are more equal than others.
That’s the way forward IMO.
Pure federation is maybe a little bit too soon, Switzerland is for example a “loose” federation called a confederation, that could be a way forward.
Ad hoc coalition are great and would allow to move forward, test new ideas and quickly bring other into if working well.
Two speed eu is a bad idea
Why not just go with two thirds majority takes the vote. Having everyone agree is how you ruin anything, even a family vacation.
Not adding Belgium to the core seems like a mistake, since it’s basically a founding member of the EU and also has Brussels the EU capital and within it a lot of EU governing bodies like the EU parliament.
I don’t really expect this to go anywhere but I don’t understand the people complaining. If a country doesn’t want deeper integration they can just stay where they are, why should they be able to prevent other countries from integrating if, hypothetically, they wanted to?
That is a great way to give fuel to all the “we are second class citizens” parties in EU.
The optics of this are really bad. Furthermore it looks like a cop out of reforming the treaties and eventually federalising the EU.
I don’t think it is a malicious act, though. German politicians are simply that short sighted.
This is actually something that’s a de facto reality already. I mean as long as countries like Poland and Sweden aren’t Eurozone members, they frankly aren’t full members.
Good this EU must die, federal Europe now!
Sounds familiar, where have I heard this before… oh yes!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-fifths_Compromise
Wait for cry babies Baltic States crying that they are not part of E6.
Oh boy, really not looking forward to that.
It’s more like a coalition of 6 largest EU economies with the most seats in EU institutions forming and pushing projects together rather than a “two speed Europe” to be honest. Especially given that apparently Poland is part of it, and Poland doesn’t even use euro currency nor plan on adopting it in the near future.
In short term it might be a good idea for the six wealthy countries. But it will destroy the EU after a while. For real success in the long term we all need to work togheter! That’s the best option.
More top down enforcement from the EU. Let federalist parties win big in at least a couple elections, before making such plans.
so EU within the EU? seriously bad move.
If this means more probabilities for a federal union between the “first ones” for me is great and also will give to the other nations the backbone to improve until they will (if they want) enter in it
The EU should federalize instead. If nationalisms and particularisms win, Europe is cooked in the competition with the US and China.