Instead of internal development and competition and trade with the world, it wants to swallow more and more areas, bring them under its control, but then does nothing with them.
The thesis in the title was originally written about the Russian Empire. His appetite was huge, he swallowed his neighbors one after another until he collapsed. The direction of their expansion was inspired by the Japanese imperial flag, they went in every direction whenever they could. But in the rarest of cases it was possible to properly digest and integrate the compositions, it was not by chance that the empire, and later the Soviet Union, fell apart. The European Union is following a very similar historical path, but we have the opportunity to change direction.
Today, Europe is following the Russian growth agenda, and this is true even if it is not at all aware of it. Instead of internal (vertical) development and competition and trade with the world, it wants to swallow more and more areas, bring them under its control, but then does nothing with them.
Instead of integration, it acts as a protector, tries to organize the new acquisitions into second-class client states, and then watches with a paralyzed face as the USA reaps where it did not sow.
Just look at the relationship between the "old" and "new" member states!
The old member states, especially in the German-speaking area, were furious when they heard that the economically strengthened and politically self-aware "new" member states considered themselves equal to the "old" ones. They are angry that the more impudent one tends to say no to one of their demands, but they certainly don't want to serve them as weak-willed puppets.
Yet it was so well thought out that they give away their markets and their human resources, and in return receive morals and a false sense of belonging.
For example, Poland is almost on a par with Germany both in terms of population and economic strength. The Germans are not willing to acknowledge this, in their minds the Poles are still the Iroquois whom they have to educate to keep their rooms clean, and in return they rob them. They should shut up about everything else, don't meddle in European affairs, especially don't want to set a course. Temporarily, by helping Tusk's agent to power, they achieved tactical success, but since Tusk wants to stay in power, he can only satisfy the German imperial needs secretly, under the grass.
It is also repainted to suit American needs, it looks better in the infinitely wise Polish geopolitical tradition, since the security guarantee of a distant and unnatural ally provides an opportunity for big mouths.
In their moments of inspiration, the least intelligent, but all the more colonial-minded politicians of the Hungarian field used to exclaim that if we entered the club, we should respect its rules. Let's say it like that
the rules of the EU that are being held accountable these days did not exist, they are made up on the fly, or they don't even exist today, they just refer to them.
What's more, the rules are often the exact opposite of the direction of the number requests, just think of child protection and the protection of the Schengen borders. Their problem is not about the rule of law, but in general that we should not get involved in things that have nothing to do with us. In their minds, the EU is still going to Vienna, and if the "new" member states have ideas about the common future, they should keep them to themselves, because after all, what kind of thing is it to think in Bratislava about where the tram should go in Paris. It can only work the other way around.
Of course, the stomach is big, half of the Balkans, Ukraine and Georgia are also teetering on one of the stations of candidate status. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that they will become members in the near future, because then they would also have a say in the common matters that are traditionally decided by Berlin and Paris in Brussels. That is why they remain in the role of a striving protectorate when their human resources and markets are needed, but not as a political actor. In fact, it would not even be logical to expand the EU further, as long as the cohesion between the "old" and "new" member states, the organic integration between them, is only as strong as, say, the relationship between Tashkent and Moscow during Stalin's time.
As long as the "old" member states do not understand that they did not join second-rate client states during the enlargement, but sovereign states with their own will and interests, they will not expand the list of potential obstacles to their own interests.
But neither logic nor the enlargement failures so far matter, if we want to reform the Union, we need more "new" member states!
For this we would need some kind of trick, for example, we would have to make them believe that if we do not immediately admit these countries to the EU, then Putin will put his dirty Russian paws on them so that no stone is left unturned. They have to be made to believe that by joining the "West", the Union, all their social and economic problems will be solved in the blink of an eye, since the "West" is altruistic and only wants to help. Develop, enrich, modernize and the rest.
Of course, none of them are true, Russia will have fun with Ukraine for decades to come, for a while with war, and then all its energy will be tied up with digestion.
The "West" wants Georgian, Bosnian and Moldovan representatives to reason in Brussels about things that are traditionally decided in Berlin and Paris, just as the Polish, Slovak and Hungarian politicians were also received with bursting joy. That is, not at all.
But we live in blessed times, if they don't destroy the Earth with a nuclear war, then everyone is so stupid right now that we can turn it to our advantage.
With the addition of the Balkans, Georgia, and Moldova, we could easily suppress the "old" member states and the EU could really become a European community, instead of the colonial system of Berlin and Paris.
Let's not be picky about who qualifies as a member and how many grievances we have accumulated against them! We need to get rid of the rule of the "old" member states in order to create a club whose rules we make together and abide by together! Otherwise Putyler is coming! (wink.)
Featured image source: Democrat
