§ The document does not contemplate a scenario in which the European
Union faces collapse, or in which major member states decide to follow the
British example and exit the bloc.
§ The European Commission, in a rare instance of candor, admits that
European federalism risks "alienating parts of society which feel that the
EU lacks legitimacy or has taken too much power away from national
authorities."
§ The Commission does not consider the possibility that in 2025 it
may not even exist.
The European Commission has published a
document outlining five scenarios for how the European Union could evolve
within the next ten years.
The so-called White Paper on the Future of Europe, which
will be presented at the Rome Summit on March 25, 2017 to mark the 60th
anniversary of the European Union, is intended to be "the starting point
for a wider public debate on the future of our continent."
Each of the five scenarios is based on
the premise that "the 27 Member States move forward together as a
Union." The document does not consider the possibility that the EU could
collapse or break apart, or even that the powers of the EU be significantly
curtailed. The document states:
"Too often, the discussion on
Europe's future has been boiled down to a binary choice between more or less
Europe. That approach is misleading and simplistic. The possibilities covered
here range from the status quo, to a change of scope and priorities, to a
partial or collective leap forward."
Nevertheless, for the European
Commission, the powerful administrative arm of the European Union, publicly to
even consider alternatives to full-blown European federalism is a testament to
the growing power and influence of anti-EU political movements in Europe.
Read more at: The Future
of the European Union?
