CONCLUSIONS
In the immediate aftermath of the EU currency reforms and
the adoption of the Euro as the single currency for the whole of the Euro zone
and the issues of national debts and financial problems that have rocked the Euro
zone since then, issues have arisen concerning the viability of the whole
concept of European unity and of the whole continent moving towards cohesion as
one entity politically and economically.
Nations like Great
Britain and Denmark have shunned the monetary union and have chosen to pursue
an independent path monetarily. Events involving the Greek and Italian debt
crises have also tended to cast the whole idea of European unity as an
unworkable idea between strange bedfellows dragged together by economic and
political forces that have not taken cognizance of the lingering differences
that persist in the socio-cultural dispositions of the various states of Europe
that makes the idea of political and monetary union implausible on the
long-run.
The British seem to be keenly aware of this and have long
held the view that the peculiar character and make up of each nation should not
be overlooked in the dash towards European Union especially the political and
monetary union.
France in
particular and Germany have maintained their stand that the European union ought
to be a peculiarly European institution without undue interference from
external powers notably the United States and Russia. American attempts to tie
the EU as an institution to NATO has met with the stern refusal of the EU
states particularly France which sees in the EU a competing and alternate power
base to the US and Russia.
Great Britain which remains tied to the United States by
virtue of the long ties developed in the course of resolving the two major
conflicts of the 20th century, essentially sees her future linked
more with her trans- Atlantic relationship with Canada and the US rather than
her neighbors on the European continent.
The health and future of the European Union project has
more or less come to depend on the strength of the strategic partnership being
cultivated by both France and Germany the erstwhile antagonistic neighbors
whose long years of protracted rivalry and conflict necessitated the idea of
the European Union in the first place.
The future of Europe and as it were of the EU no doubt
will depend largely on the ability of both France and Germany to shoulder the weight
and responsibilities involved in upholding the EU and its constituent
institutions such as the Euro and the common market.
As the present
European financial crisis is showing, the burden of maintaining an alliance of
unequal partners is definitely the equal of maintaining European unity on the
long run. This the British have shied away from, and this, the French and
Germans are courageously endeavoring to shoulder for now.
EPILOGUE
This writing was meant to cover the issues in European history over a period of 150 years i.e 1850-2000, but 14 years beyond the detailed period of coverage, events in Eastern Europe have shown that post-cold war Europe can still be very volatile as events in the Ukraine and other parts of Eastern Europe have shown and are still showing. The hasty dismantling of the structures that kept Europe in peace for the past 70 years is proving to be a big mistake on the part of the EU leaders and the US. The haste to move on as though the concept of a one- Europe is an idea whose time has passed needs to be seriously revisited as events in Russia and China are showing that a united and powerful Europe working in concert with the United States is still desperately needed to maintain the existing global order that has kept the world in peace for close to the better half of the 20th century and the beginnings of the 21st century.
Great Britain in paticular has to come to terms with the fact that a united and powerful Europe is in her better interest as the last two world wars have shown that the stirrings of any global conflict begins in Europe , just as well as the sustenance of global peace and the preservation of Western civilization as we know it today rests on the platform of a united Europe working in concert with the United States of America. Neither Europe on its own or the United States acting unilaterally can maintain the present World order. Both China and Russia will be brought to order if they can clearly see a united and powerful Europe linking hands with the United States, Canada and Japan standing in their way.
To act otherwise would be an open invitation to the next opportunist to try and forcefully covet the role of pride master as seen in the feline kingdom of the Lions. We do all remember what it cost the whole world to hold back the last opportunist in the World War that raged from 1939-1945. A word is reputed to be enough for the wise!
EPILOGUE
This writing was meant to cover the issues in European history over a period of 150 years i.e 1850-2000, but 14 years beyond the detailed period of coverage, events in Eastern Europe have shown that post-cold war Europe can still be very volatile as events in the Ukraine and other parts of Eastern Europe have shown and are still showing. The hasty dismantling of the structures that kept Europe in peace for the past 70 years is proving to be a big mistake on the part of the EU leaders and the US. The haste to move on as though the concept of a one- Europe is an idea whose time has passed needs to be seriously revisited as events in Russia and China are showing that a united and powerful Europe working in concert with the United States is still desperately needed to maintain the existing global order that has kept the world in peace for close to the better half of the 20th century and the beginnings of the 21st century.
Great Britain in paticular has to come to terms with the fact that a united and powerful Europe is in her better interest as the last two world wars have shown that the stirrings of any global conflict begins in Europe , just as well as the sustenance of global peace and the preservation of Western civilization as we know it today rests on the platform of a united Europe working in concert with the United States of America. Neither Europe on its own or the United States acting unilaterally can maintain the present World order. Both China and Russia will be brought to order if they can clearly see a united and powerful Europe linking hands with the United States, Canada and Japan standing in their way.
To act otherwise would be an open invitation to the next opportunist to try and forcefully covet the role of pride master as seen in the feline kingdom of the Lions. We do all remember what it cost the whole world to hold back the last opportunist in the World War that raged from 1939-1945. A word is reputed to be enough for the wise!
