United States of Europe

In 1777 the U.S. flag had 13 stars in a circle on a blue background, one for each state of the Union. The 13 red and white stripes remain in memory of the original colonies, but a star has been added for each state.

In 1955 the Council of Europe adopted a circle of 12 stars in a circle on a blue background as the flag of a unified Europe. No stars have been added for new members of the Union.

The debate over a federal European Union continues, even as the Union’s new constitution is being quietly drafted by The EU Convention President, Valéry Giscard d’Estain.

Today, EU member states are still wearing the clothes of democracy. But the EU institutions such as the Council and the Commission are less accountable. For that matter, do you know who your »elected« representatives in the European Parliament are?

Can a still bike still stand

– The European Union is like a bicycle, says Gorazd Drevener, a Slovenian Pharmacologist, who is critical of expansion.

– When you are moving, everything is okay, but when you stop, you will fall, if you don’t put your legs on the ground. And that is how the European Union is – just pushing forward and forward, he says.

– If you have one huge system, then it is easy for some bureaucrats, or a very autocratic or charismatic leader to take over.

– Then we would see a new cycle in the European History as we have many times before in the past centuries. That’s the biggest danger. That can be prevented only by a constant balance of the powers of Europe on a national basis. It is very important that each nation guard their own development, to choose their rights of what to do in the future. Not to be subordinate to some administration somewhere.

Small Island

Will the countries lined up to join the EU this weekend in Copenhagen have to sacrifice democracy and independence? Malta is a good example, measuring only 30 by 15 kilometers, with just 380,000 inhabitants.

– Malta is a very small island, so in a future EU block, all the Maltese people can shout that we don’t agree with something, and it’s still not going to make a difference, says Bonici.

– We only have five members in the European Parliament, and there are 23 committees, so they can’t even attend all the committees of the Parliament. We only have three votes on the council. So our voice is only going to be a drop in the ocean.

By Patrick Beckett