EU Referendum


Brexit: orientations to die for


17/09/2016




Such is their love for railway metaphors that the "colleagues" often express their integration ambitions in terms of climbing aboard the "European train". It is thus an interesting reflection on European Union politics that, when le projet hits the buffers – as it so often does – we see the self-same colleagues scrabbling around for a roadmap.

This one, according to Die Welt is the Bratislava "roadmap", the one that has emerged from yesterday's summit. This is to be ready for March (and the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome), setting out the priorities for a Europe sans the United Kingdom.

On the table so far, from European Council President Donald Tusk is action on the refugee crisis and border security, counter-terrorism and economic and social consequences of globalisation. But that, that is only Tusk's view. It is now down to the individual Member States to come up with their own views, which will, presumably, compete for attention with the Commission White Paper, due out at the same time.

Whatever the outcome, the colleagues will undoubtedly be fortified by Chancellor Angela Merkel's view that, "Europe can be better". She admits that the EU is in "a critical situation" – her opening position on arriving at the Slovak capital – so her remedy is "to show by deeds that we can be better".

This, we are told, applies in particular to the security policy, defence co-operation and the fight against terrorism. Added to that are the issues of "growth and jobs". And when people think of the EU these says – according to Angela Merkel: "They think especially of the Digital Agenda and the digital single market".

Somehow, I guess, that very statement lies at the malady affecting le project. Even though I have not personally canvassed the streets of Paris, Madrid, Rome and Berlin – to say nothing of Warsaw or even Bratislava – I feel pretty safe in asserting that the "Digital Agenda and the digital single market" are not the first things that Monsieur Jean Moyenne mentions when asked about their precious Union.

Like it or not, though, such is to be the fare of what Slovak Prime Minister Fico has dubbed the "Bratislava process". For him, the watchwords are "cohesion" and "unity", but he also stresses: "for God's sake no institutional debate!".

However, no "roadmap", much less a "process" could get underway without a "declaration" so, after much labour, that is exactly what the summit has produced, rather predictably named the Bratislava Declaration. And to set the juices flowing, we have this vibrant analysis: "The EU is not perfect but it is the best instrument we have for addressing the new challenges we are facing".

There then follows the same litany of uninspiring technocratic nostrums, with the promise that "Bratislava is the beginning of a process". The March 2017 celebrations on the Rome Treaties, we are told, "will bring together Heads in Rome and will be used to round off the process launched in Bratislava, and set out orientations for our common future together".

So this is what the peoples of Europa have to look forward to: a set of "orientations for our common future together". Aux armes citoyens, these "orientations" are to die for. Strangely enough, Greek cartoonist Vagelis Papavasiliou thinks otherwise (top).