European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso tells the Europe of nations that he feels their pain --
For European countries, most of which have fought long and hard to become united and/or independent, the thought of being a mere sub-federal entity is unbearable. This aversion to centralisation is both understandable and unsurprising. One of the classic 19th century Irish nationalist songs goes: 'and Ireland, long a province, be a nation once again'. It is only natural that such a nation does not want to go back to being, even if only symbolically, 'a province once again', and the same feeling lives just as strongly in many, if not in all Member States.
He then goes on to say that each crisis in the EU has been really helpful in promoting federalism because they have forced the countries into collective solutions to various problems.
We're going to need new rebel songs.
For European countries, most of which have fought long and hard to become united and/or independent, the thought of being a mere sub-federal entity is unbearable. This aversion to centralisation is both understandable and unsurprising. One of the classic 19th century Irish nationalist songs goes: 'and Ireland, long a province, be a nation once again'. It is only natural that such a nation does not want to go back to being, even if only symbolically, 'a province once again', and the same feeling lives just as strongly in many, if not in all Member States.
He then goes on to say that each crisis in the EU has been really helpful in promoting federalism because they have forced the countries into collective solutions to various problems.
We're going to need new rebel songs.