International

You can read now in ever more media that the European Union is developing a renewed élan. It’s said that citizens of other member states see the problems in Great Britain and all of a sudden are keen on having a strong EU. The European Commission wants an open discussion on the Union’s future, yet at the same time carries on irritably building a superstate, complete with a Minister of Finance, European taxes and a European army. Even the ceremony following Helmut Kohl’s death was used to demonstrate that the European state can organise a ‘state funeral’, complete with ‘national’ anthem. There’s only one answer to all of this: clarity regarding our critique of the existing system.

Europhiles see their chance quite clearly. Provided Merkel is re-elected in Germany, there’ll be a strong Franco-German axis committed to further aggrandising the EU. The timing is perfect: in September the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, outlines in his ‘State of the Union’ address to the European Parliament just how he sees the future of the EU. Heads of government will discuss these plans in October’s European Council meeting and in December will have to take decisions. In short, the plans will be implemented in double-quick time.

But didn’t we hear Dutch EU Commissioner Frans Timmermans say recently that he wanted to put a stop to Brussels’ meddlesomeness? And hasn’t Prime Minister Mark Rutte always been averse to such views? Forget it. Both of them are participating enthusiastically in a final offensive. Now that EU-critical parties, following elections in the Netherlands and France, will not for the time being be taking part in government, voters are writing these parties off as losers. Bogus surveys are used, moreover, to give the impression that the average member state citizen wants a strong EU. All of this is setting things up in order to push through plans for a European superstate which have been ready for years.

Of course we could stand on the sidelines and sulk, but if we can mobilise this autumn everyone who’s opposed to a superstate, then it’s still not too late, and the heads of government won’t be able once again to continue to surreptitiously undermine democracy by backing still more powers for Brussels. When the decision was taken to introduce the euro, the streets were far too quiet, and the deed was done. This autumn we need to turn out en masse. The SP team in the European Parliament is ready for it and will be touring SP branches to inform them, night after night, about what Brussels is up to. We reckon it will be a lively autumn, because this is make or break.