Maxime Lefebvre: Is European Political Unity Still Possible?
Only economic integration through the progressive sharing of sovereignties since the Second World War has made European unification possible.
As the Iraq crisis showed once again, the European Union is politically divided and little able to assert itself against the American "hyperpower". It would be neither realistic nor desirable for Europe to develop into a political and strategic power independent of the USA.
Nevertheless, Europeans can attempt to make the transatlantic partnership more balanced and to build up a European capacity to act. However, this requires that Europe first become capable of united action. To this end a number of models suggest themselves. In relation to foreign and security policy any deepening of European integration on the political level will be brought up short by the democratic and political realities of the nation-state, which are difficult to overcome. The long-debated notion of a "core Europe" can scarcely be reconciled with what the European Union has achieved so far. Even "enhanced cooperation" offers no solution because it leads unavoidably to broad-based participation. The "structured cooperation" on European defense policy envisaged in the draft Constitution will probably also develop along these lines.
As a consequence, a political Europe - in the sense of one capable of action and not only a Europe at peace - must be generated by the political will of the largest European countries.
Although this has been criticized by the smaller countries the creation of an "action center" involving the three, four or six largest European states could act as a driving force. A stronger German-French axis would be one possible variant. If EU foreign policy can obtain no impetus from the political will of the large EU states the latter's remaining influence will seep away in consensual impotence.
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