Iraq reveals the weaknesses of a political Europe
Journal Francophone de Budapest, 15 September 2002
Language of the original publication: French
A few months before the historical decision on the adhesion of new members, the international agenda, dominated by the possibility of an American attack against Iraq, makes one wonder – in the prospect of an EU at 25 – about the dilemma "Europe-space” versus “Europe-power". These terms which at the beginning were related to the debate on enlarging-deepening cover two diametrically opposite designs for the European integration, and highlight the risk of dilution into a vast free trade area, in the absence of sufficient political will. In this regard, the difficult positioning of the Fifteen on Iraq indicates how far the European Union still is from constituting this force multiplying pole of power that the partisans of a political Europe have hoped to see emerging, preferably before the big bang enlargement which will make any common ambition incontestably more difficult.
The French version offers a rough translation possibility into English at the bottom of the page.
(Hajnalka Vincze, Iraq reveals the weaknesses of a political Europe, Journal Francophone de Budapest, 15 September 2002, 6,284 characters)
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