Developments in the world and the EU’s responses to them have once again brought to the fore the fundamental question facing the European Union: Can a more successful future for integration be achieved by a mutually beneficial cooperation between strong sovereign nation states or by the vision of the United States of Europe?
The recent ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union on the rule of law mechanism was a clear sign of the EU institutional system professing faith in a federal system. However, the decision the EU intends to take in the future, such as the introduction of the digital currency and digital ID cards, or climate protection CO2 quotas for citizens, can be seen as a new level of federal efforts.
There is a clear political intent behind the plans, namely the deliberate and targeted abolition of the sovereignty of nation states through reducing Member States’ competences. All this cannot be seen otherwise than
the next step in the preparatory process for the United States of Europe, which is an open and deliberate violation of the Treaties.
It is important to note that European unity also has positive aspects, such as the benefits of a customs union. Moreover, the deepening of further cooperation, primarily of an economic nature, is also an effort to be supported, as the future of the EU is guaranteed by common economic successes. At the same time, competence-reducing decisions that go beyond these, which are not based on interest but made along political goals, and which are likely to become decisive at EU level in the near future, are already intended to help create an imperial European Union.
This is extremely dangerous because recent challenges, such as the migration crisis, the coronavirus pandemic, or the energy crisis, have clearly demonstrated that only nation states can provide effective responses to real ordeals, which was previously heatedly debated in various forums. The emerging challenges have shown more clearly than ever the anomalies of the concept of a federal EU and its untenability. The EU institutions, spearheaded by the European Commission with imperial aspirations, not only failed to provide uniform answers but also proved to be completely incapable of acting. As a result,
EU citizens do not only feel remote from the European institutions but have also lost confidence in them, which is very risky in itself.
To be able to respond effectively to today’s challenges and protect its citizens, the European Union must draw the consequences of recent years. The system of mechanisms that reduce and restrict competences must be abolished, European democracy must be restored, the Commission must accept the fact declared in the Treaties that it is not the Commission that is the holder of supreme power but the European Council, which brings together the democratically elected Heads of State and Government of the Member States, and we must ultimately return to the founding principles and goals. After all, the concept of integration based on mutually beneficial cooperation between sovereign nation states is not only a legitimate demand voiced by right-wing forces but also a guarantee for the survival of the European Union.
