Originally published February 19 2015
European Union collapsing state by state
by J. D. Heyes
(NaturalNews) Is the European Union dissolving before our eyes? A number of geopolitical observers and experts seem to think so, mostly because of crumbling economies and political divergence.
Founded Nov. 1, 1993, in Maastricht, Netherlands, as a sort of "United States of Europe," the EU was established as a near-continent-wide confederation of nations into a universal economic zone, facilitating the free "movement of goods, services, people and money," according to an EU history posted here. The euro was created as the EU's standard currency and, for a decade, economic, security and defense matters were consolidated.
But today, wrote Bruno Waterfield of Britain's Telegraph newspaper, trust in the EU, coupled with lingering economic stagnation, strain caused by immigration policy and political shifts within EU member nations, the continent-wide confederation is in danger of collapsing, one nation at a time.
Waterfield noted:
Europe is being swept by a wave of popular disenchantment and revolt against mainstream political parties and the European Union.
In 2007, a majority of Europeans - 52 per cent - trusted the EU. That level of trust has now fallen to a third.
So much for austerity
Initially, he noted, Britain's instinctive skepticism over the EU was the exception, as the union was formally launched to enthusiasm and promise in the wake of the Cold War. But today, Euroskepticism is growing in nearly every member nation, even some where faith in the union had been the highest.
Waterfield ticks off some of the most recent factors that are having a negative impact on the future of the EU:
-- Recent elections in Greece have seen a rise to power of the far-left socialist party, Syriza, on promises of overturning Eurozone policies and especially those pertaining to austerity.
On Jan. 29, after just three days in power, the new Syriza led government scrapped austerity policies that were the cornerstone of an agreement to provide Greece with hundreds of billions of euros in bailout money, as a way to prevent the economy from completely collapsing. Germany, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund sought the austerity measures, but they led to widespread economic malaise and unrest in Greece because so much of the economy is reliant on government entitlements.
It is unclear what the response EU-wide will be to Greece's reversal of austerity policy, which also opposes the privatization of a number of state-owned entities and enterprises.
CNBC reported, however:
Greece appears to be firmly on a collision course with its euro zone neighbors over its bailout program. So far, Europe has refused to countenance demands from Greece for a debt haircut, and one economist said it was unclear how the impasse would be resolved.
-- Waterfield believes that a number of experts see the Greek austerity revolt, which is also a wider popular vote in the country against a loss of economic sovereignty to diktats from Brussels or Frankfurt, as just the beginning.
In Italy, Spain and France, the various electorates are pushing back against mainstream political parties that they believe are merely clinging to EU institutions like the euro as they fail to represent their respective populations.
"Europe is at a nadir"
-- In the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Britain, liberal mass immigration policies are the driving impetus behind budding rebellions by voters who, again, don't see such policies as representing respective populations.
-- Germany, as well, is beginning to show signs of widening cracks in the European order. As noted by Waterfield:
There are plenty of opportunities for revolt: parliamentary elections take place in Greece, Britain, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Poland, Portugal and Spain. Early elections are also expected in Italy.
And again, the EU economy has been abysmal since the Great Recession in the U.S. triggered a global economic recession in 2007-2008. Not much has improved since.
"Europe is at a nadir," wrote seasoned Russia and Europe analyst Sean Guillory a year ago.
Sources:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk
http://europa.eu
http://www.cnbc.com
http://seansrussiablog.org
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