After a long period of shilly-shallying, the Conservatives
appear to be moving towards taking some concrete action to allay deep public
concern about Europe. John Redwood has long
joined the Bill Cash euro-sceptic camp; David Davis has vocally complained
about European interference: Michael Gove has electrified the debate by stating
he would vote to leave were there to be a referendum now. Theresa May is
producing a list of powers that should be repatriated. Crucially David Cameron
is proposing a new association for Britain within the EU, followed
probably by a referendum. This vital issue is at last being clarified.
Metternich, the arch-priest of absolutism, told the Duke of
Wellington in 1824 “C’est depuis longtemps que L’Europe a pris pour
moi la valeur d’une patrie” and Winston Churchill in opposition in 1946
tearfully called for “some kind of United States of Europe”, though he excluded
Britain and the Commonwealth. De Gaulle favoured “L’Europe des patries”, with no fading of the grandeur of France.
So there is more than one blueprint for Europe.
The current version is for “an ever closer union” – a single market (almost
achieved) a banking union (work in progress) a fiscal union (coming soon in the
eurozone) and eventual political union (an inevitable consequence). It is this
“direction of travel” which so alarms Britain.
The EU could retort that this direction was already evident
when Britain
acceded to the EEC in 1973, which is partly true but was effectively concealed
by our politicians. The momentum of change and development of the EU has swept Britain along.
Margaret Thatcher kicked against the pricks and lost the leadership. Some
opt-outs were negotiated, the eurozone was avoided but really a more decisive
choice is required.
The eurozone crisis has revealed the true nature of the EU.
I spend many months annually in Greece.
Over the last 3 years Greece
has been mercilessly squeezed by the EU, ECB and IMF to abide by a policy of comprehensive
austerity, of doubtful economic wisdom from the start and clearly unsuccessful
now. It suits Northern Europe to stop Greece
leaving the euro, to implant its officials in Greek government departments and
to turn Greece
into a German colony. Of course many of Greece’s
problems are self-inflicted, but Portugal,
Ireland, Spain and Italy too are coming under German
hegemony. A weak nation, and Britain
has had its weak moments, faces an unpleasant fate in the modern EU.
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| The Dead Hand of Brussels: van Rompuy and Barroso |
Most of the continental European countries are comfortable
with each other – a Napoleonic legal system, a predisposition towards statist
solutions, a high tolerance of bureaucracy and a protectionist cast of mind. Britain stands
out like a sore thumb – outward-looking, market-orientated and an open society
under the Common Law. It has its blemishes, but at least they are our
blemishes. In the final analysis, continental Europe
will not defy the diktats of Angela
Merkel and Wolfgang Schauble. To think that Britain will do the same or can fit
easily into a supra-national organisation run by uninspiring functionaries like
Barroso, van Rompuy, Juncker, Rehn and
Draghi is to defy all logic and every lesson of history.
David Cameron is surely right to put this matter to the
British people. He wants to negotiate a
revised status with the EU, which is a mountain to climb given the lack of
goodwill towards Britain in Brussels. The 3 choices
on the referendum ballot paper would presumably be:
- To stay in the EU as at present
- To approve Cameron’s new negotiated deal within the EU
- To leave the EU
I would have thought choices 2 or 3 would find most favour
(maybe choice 1 will have become redundant). We all hope Cameron can pull off a
sensible and supportable deal, and all strength to his elbow, but an EU exit
must be a serious possibility. It is not just echoing a saloon bar rant or an
overwrought feature in the Daily Mail to
be convinced that the suggestion of “an ever closer union” with partners like
Angela Merkel, Francois Hollande, Mario Monti or Mariano Rajoy would spark a
robust reply from the British people in the immortal words of John McEnroe -
“You cannot be serious!”
SMD
20.10.12
Text Copyright © Sidney Donald 2012
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