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A European 'superstate'?German leader proposes more power for European Union
BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- The United States of Europe? This possibility moved one step closer to becoming a reality on Monday, when German's top political figure publicly called for sweeping reforms that could lead the old continent closer to a "European superstate." Speaking at a press conference in Berlin, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder confirmed reports his party, the Social Democrats (SDP), put together a draft policy to revamp and empower the 15-nation European Union, or EU. A by-product of the 1951 Treaty of Paris, the EU has grown into a key economic and political alliance in recent years.
The proposal would turn the EU's Executive Commission into a bona fide European government, extending its authority over the continent. An elected European Parliament would have full control over the EU budget, a power currently held by the unelected commission and government ministers. Schroeder, who said he was speaking as head of the Social Democratic Party and not as chancellor, said the proposal also called for other decision-making powers -- such as EU aid for infrastructure projects -- to be shifted back to national and regional levels. The SDP also proposed a second chamber of the European parliament, akin to the House of Representatives and Senate in the U.S. system. While Schroeder emphasized the ideas were mainly intended to stimulate discussion, not dictate policy, they do represent the most comprehensive and extensive statement of his vision for Europe. But it is a vision that few, Schroeder included, expect to become a reality anytime soon, especially given the strong nationalist sentiment in some EU countries. European alliance takes shapeAs early as 1846, the novelist Victor Hugo was urging the governments of the main European powers to "form a fraternity of Europe."
This vision began to take root after World War II, as the continent struggled to rebuild its economy and industry. West Germany, France, Luxembourg, Italy, Belgium and Holland -- known as "The Six" -- signed the Treaty of Paris in 1951, creating the European Coal and Steel Community to pool and govern distribution of the group's mineral resources. "Coal and steel were the two industries fundamental to the waging of war," says Yves Meny, director of the Robert Schuman Centre in Florence, Italy. "The basic principle of the treaty, and hence the European Community as a whole, was to make war between the major states of Europe an impossibility." Six years later, "The Six" created the European Economic Community (often called the Common Market) and European Atomic Energy Community, further establishing the nations' economic, political and technological ties. These three groups were gradually combined into the European Union, which now includes nine additional countries -- Denmark, Britain, Ireland, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland and Sweden. "From the very beginning, France and Germany have been the key players," said Gaston Thorn, former prime minister of Luxembourg and president of the EU Commission, an executive body in the alliance, from 1981 to 1985. "Without a certain harmony between these two countries, you cannot build up Europe." Recent developments indicate the two nations remain the biggest advocates of European unity. Last year, French President Jacques Chirac told the German Bundestag of a "pioneer group" of countries that wish to push integration. And German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer called for a United States of Europe. Schroeder's proposal, welcomed by Germany's conservative opposition party, the Christian Democrats, is the latest evidence of Franco-German leadership. Will it work?The movement toward unity has been strongest in the last two decades, with the crowning moment coming on January 1, 1999, with the launch of the euro -- the common European currency. But the currency also signaled the division that exists in the European Union, as Britain, Denmark and Sweden still have no set plans to join the "euro zone." Groups in these, and other EU countries, fear policies like those proposed by Schroeder on Monday will hurt their nations economically and politically.
Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel said he was concerned the plan may lead to a "superstate," a fear also expressed in several other EU countries. Claus Larsen-Jensen of Denmark's governing Social Democratic Party said turning the EU Commission into a "European government" would be a "wrong step." In Britain -- home to some of the strongest opposition to EU integration -- Francis Maude, international policy head of the country's Conservative party, warned Schroeder's plans would "damage our economy and our democracy." "These proposals will lead Europe in the wrong direction," Maude said. "Chancellor Schroeder and his allies in Britain and elsewhere are badly out of step." The official word from London, however, was more in line with Schroeder's own hopes that his statements would spur discussion, not protest. The office of Britain's prime minister, Tony Blair, simply said, "This is the latest contribution to the important debate on the reform of EU institutions." Blair's spokesman added the proposals contain "some ideas we agree with, others we don't."
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