European Integration

Along the history especially during World War I and World War II, European countries waged wars against each other, and raised their extreme nationalism flags. But devastated societies and their bitter experience questioned stability and peace for lives, and tried to touch common ground for their national interests. Some World leaders were thinking not only global organization like United Nations but regional Inter Governmental Organizations for security, social and economics developments. European Integration was first intentioned to cooperate among European to rebuild war-torn economies, and European Union is one of the most comprehensive Inter Governmental institutions in the history. The tremendous efforts and successes of European Unions create further widening and deepening of integration.

After Second World War, while power struggles and invasions between democratic bloc and evil Soviet Empire were striking to hearts of Europe, six Western Europe countries set an economic-orientated organization in 1950s, and it became the most complex and effective institution in the world. Although those countries were rivals in historic warfare, they brought some aspects for brighten future. Indeed, the significant reasons were pushing to reach that line. From experience of the devastated wartime, most of Western European countries gradually realized that they couldn’t walk in damaging earth alone and helping each other was the most suitable and comprehensive transformation to struggle for rebuilding war-torn economies. On the other hand, they had wonderful experience from substantial grants of Marshall Plan by United States, and that plan provoked the idea of soft power on them. On the other hand, according to experience of Great Depression ear, they had seen countries’ economies turned to worsen and worsen when trade barriers were strictly created. In consequences, the tension of international community was grown up. Therefore, they reduced their internal barriers and, competition of international trades also delivered persuasive international relation. In addition, Soviet communism was threatening not only at Eastern Europe but also domestic policies in France and Italy, and invasion of Soviet evils made concerned to Western Europe countries and their allies United States. On the other hand, United States, France and United Kingdom believed encouragement and stabilizing to economies and military of Germany would create helpful power for European Integration and avoid future conflicts. By integration, Western Europeans expected the prevention of communist spread to their regions. In an aspect of cooperation, six European states saw advantages of their combination also broke through international markets together and strengthened their countries’ economies and social relationships. Therefore, the original purpose of the European Integration was economics, political and military in nature.

Jean Monnet and RobertSchuman were known as pioneers of the European Unions, and they believed peaceful Europe could be built by step by step if the states were cooperated each other. In addition, they suggested that transitional technical problems such as need for rebuild destroyed countries during War, could also push to form common institution to solve economics and social crisis. To reach their goal for military and economies, six countries France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg created European Coal and Steel Community ( ECSC ) in 1952, and it was the most important step for European Unions. In addition, it showed that Germany, Italy and France were working together instead of conflicts like in past. Five years later, in 1957, from the Treaty of Rome, six Western Europe countries formed three new communities such as The European Atomics Energy Community ( Euratom), the European Defense Community ( EDC ) and the European Economics Community ( EEC ). But only the European Economic Community showed its effectiveness. When Ireland, Britain and Denmark joined in 1970s, EU was grown up with nine countries membership. In 1980s, Greece, Spain and Poland also became members of European Unions. When the Berlin Wall was collapsed, East Germany and West Germany reunified. As a result, one frontier of communist threat was shifted to alliance and safer community was created. In 1995, European Unions allowed new members such as Austria, Finland and Sweden, and its widening was clearly seen when eight countries from Eastern and Central Europe together with Malta and Cyrus.

European Integration became wider and wider but it steps were in combination with hesitation and admiration. After Soviet Union was disintegrated in 1991 and most of Eastern European countries joined to European Unions, the vital historical step began in 2004. On the other hand, Eastern European countries would like to show their commitments of how they were eager to transform to westward orientation as they had suffered in dictatorship systems. In addition, they believed the Western Societies had more economic opportunities and security for their life when they compared with their neighbor Russia. Therefore, they have fully commitment to be happy with democratic, Capitalists’ countries. Indeed, the end of Cold War also changed the political purpose of the European Unions. On the other hand, faces of security threats appeared in another forms like illegal drugs and terrorism, and EU also handled two embracing issue such as great expansion of memberships and institutional changing on them. At the same time, common foreign and security policy were installed more forcefully, and decision making processes were granted in the system of centralized development. According to the structure of European Union, five institutions such as The European Council, The Council of Minister, The European Parliament, The European Commission and The European Court of Justice handle affairs of EU, and primary intergovernmental are European Council and the Council of Ministers. Increasing number of policies was created in European Court of Justice, Commission, Council of ministers and European Parliament. In fact, these kinds of institutional developments caused deepening, and on the other hand most of European were not satisfied the idea of power shift to European Unions from their National governments. According to the nature of Europe, some countries were still asking their national identities, and not comfortable with complicated European Institution. In addition, those countries complained that most of political decisions and other produced by EU were not by their own government. In fact, although European Parliament had more granted power than before, there were a lot of resistances for legislation.

Indeed, European Unions is not a democratic institution. Although European Parliament representatives are democratically elected, it is difficult to say that they are fully representing to will of his country. According to voting research in 2004 European Parliament Election, turnout rate was below 50 percent, and the situation expressed how much interest by people. Therefore, former President of the European Commission Romano Prodi had mentioned the linked between low voter turnout rate and weak democracy, “The message is plain and simple. Many European feel that the European Unions doesn’t come up to their expectations and so they saw no point in voting.” Therefore, if European does not realize how European Parliament is powerful, its deepening would be in limitation. Moreover, 2005 EU constitution was opposed by many countries because people believed it would create more unemployment rate, hurt immigration problems and ultimately result in membership for Muslim country Turkey. “No” campaigns in France and Netherlands showed the evidences for refusing signs of constitution. Rejection to constitution for more cooperation meant rejection on globalization process. Therefore, some people thought that EU might go deepening at certain levels and then stop. But some people argued that although the unbalanced developments and policies were created among EU states, it would not effect to European Institution and future hope. Using single currency “euro” by thirteen countries and rejected by other countries is the most significant example of their argument.

In addition, the European Union is facing at odd with foreign policy because members of 25 countries do not come with same voices as naturally. One of the amazing issues was Iraq War, and France, Germany and other against to war plan of the United States, while former Eastern European countries and Britain were backing up to United States. It was a critical movement and different direction of strategic policies of defense in previous Cold War era. Although EU had common ground for anti-communist agendas in that time, there was no agreement on issue about regional threat by Iraq in 2003. As all the states were more preferred in their national interested than EU, the foreign policy for defense. In addition, incoherent response to former Yugoslavia collapse, Kosovo crisis in 1999 and involvement in Iraq verified how EU is going far from previous trend of democratization of foreign policy. Sometimes, it is very funny for counting on population of country according to class documentary film, but EU is passing through smoothly to wonderful years of 21st century.

Indeed, the European Union becomes the most developed trading organization in the modern world history. Although they are facing with some odd foreign policies on common ground, the European integration would go widening because of nature of Europe. At the same time, anti-globalization sentiment and extreme nationalists would not hurt deepening of EU because of aspect of economics cooperation and stability in peaceful transformation among European nations. However, its deepening might be stopped at certain level of dealing with Muslim nations because of different natures and between two different civilizations.



Bibliography

Ducan, Webster and Swikty, World Politics in 21st Century, third edition, Pearson and Longman Press

Hitchcock,William , The Struggle for Europe

The Peaceful Europe: The Beginning of cooperation, http://europa.eu/abc/history/index_en.htm