The idea of European integration first appeared in the 19th century. The initiating factor was the proclamation of US independence, whose influence around the world since the beginning of the XX century began to grow rapidly. But at that time, the Europeans were not ready for such a development.
After the Second World War took place in Europe, bringing death, destruction, economic destabilization, many leaders thought about uniting the countries. In addition, the Soviet Union eagerly looked at them from the east, to which part of Germany was transferred as an indemnity. Europe was weak, and the need to have a strong army and economy became very obvious to everyone. And strangely enough, it was Germany, thanks to which European society fell into decline in the post-war years, then became the main driving force of the European Union.
Background: How did it all begin?
The prototype of the modern EU was a kind of union of coal and steel, which included only six countries. It appeared at the dawn of the 50s of the last century. The right of duty-free trade in the above goods was proclaimed as a factor of economic growth in this union. Just six years later, a momentous event occurred - the creation of the European Economic Union on the basis of this structure. And ten years later, the European Community appeared, the essence of which was also mainly of an economic nature. This, in particular, applied to the creation of a qualitatively new monetary unit, which was in circulation in all European countries - ecu. Thus, the tendency towards integration was in the air, increasingly growing in flesh.
The Schengen Agreement - the beginning of the modern history of the creation of the European Union
Then, in 1985, the famous Schengen Agreement was ratified, which is valid to the present. It gives the right to free movement throughout Europe as citizens themselves, various goods, and people with visas. This greatly facilitated the life of Europeans, gave a powerful impetus to economic growth, and simplified the interaction of countries with each other.
Who became the ideological inspirer
Although the very idea of integration was literally in the air, a lot of work was done by Pierre Werner, an outstanding European politician and prime minister of Luxembourg from 1959 to 1984. He belonged to the Christian Democratic Party, it was this leader who should be grateful to Luxembourg for the economic recovery after the metallurgical crisis, as well as the entire European community for starting the integration process.
Pierre Werner, together with other financial experts and analysts, painstakingly developed a plan for the phased entry of European countries into the economic union. That's just it was not possible to bring it to life. But it was Werner's famous plan that was the impetus that later led to the creation of the European Union in the version that we know now.
Werner Plan
Pierre Werner proposed tight coordination of monetary policy. At the same time, European countries had to lead a single trend, and the central banks of these states had to control inflation and prevent the value of their currencies from coming out of a narrow corridor of values. Of course, this greatly contributed to the stabilization of the economic situation, which was urgently needed by the members of the EEC after the first metallurgical and then oil crisis shocking them.
In addition, Werner advocated the liberalization of capital flows in European countries. It is no secret that bureaucratic delays can stifle any, even the most successful economic project in the bud. These obstacles and proposed to remove the Prime Minister of Luxembourg.
Why Werner’s plan didn’t work
But, unfortunately, all Werner's assumptions were too optimistic, and even utopian, and the goal of creating the European Union was postponed indefinitely. They should have been based on the terms of agreements between the countries, but at that time the European leaders could not agree among themselves. As a result, these postulates could not resist the pressure of the shocks of the global economy of the early 70s. But Werner's plan was the first clear sign of the will of the member states of the EEC to have a common monetary unit.
What hindered the creation of the European Union
No matter how trite it sounds, the usual differences between state leaders prevented the EU from creating. Indeed, the implementation of the project in practice would mean the transfer of power over politics, economics and domestic legislation to the hands of supranational regulatory bodies. The vast majority of Europeans were not ready for this. In any case, the idea of creating the EU had more opponents than supporters.
For almost a decade, plans to create the European Union have been gathering dust on the shelves of heads of state. They could not even fully accept the idea of maintaining their own currency in a narrow corridor, as Werner planned to do. The fact is that this would mean the consumption of gold and foreign exchange reserves, because this is how the regulator maintains the exchange rate of its currency in a stable range. In search of momentary benefits, financiers forgot about the long term, that the joint economic space will significantly increase resistance to endless crises that undermine stability.
But against this background, some countries have already begun to act together. So, already at that time Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and periodically France participated in the joint floating of exchange rates. This gave a serious impetus to the creation of the EU.
What's next?
It is only logical that such integration trends eventually led to the creation of the EU in the form in which it exists now. Back in 1992, in Holland, European leaders signed an agreement on the creation of the European Union, but as an independent unit, the EU began to exist only in 1993.
This was the end of the integration process, and all power over European countries passed into the hands of Brussels. A multi-stage psychologically and economically complex procedure for creating the European Union was completed.
What were the benefits of joining the EU
What were the reasons for the creation of the European Union and the benefits to participating States? Firstly, the Schengen agreement was extended only to countries within the union. Secondly, the culmination of economic integration was the creation of a single currency. It is worth noting that the UK with a bias immediately assessed the doubtful transition to the euro. And although the British joined the EU, they have kept their pound, which is still the most expensive currency in the world, and they have not approved the Schengen agreement. Thirdly, the political union allowed to introduce a single course in terms of strategic interaction with other countries.
How the EU Herald Was Created
The European Broadcasting Union was created within the EU . It brings together all the media of member countries. Is it worth mentioning that all these media work in one direction, covering events in the EU and in the world from the point of view of the heads of state.
But there are also positive points. It is this body that organizes such annual contests as Eurovision, including children's and dance. This is probably why this annual talent show from all over Europe is politically motivated.
EU Prospects for the Future
Everything in this world is born, develops and dies. Does this mean that the difficult and long period of creation of the European Union will end in the collapse? Now it is most likely than ever. And the referendum in Great Britain became the “first sign” during which 51.9% of the population voted to withdraw from this association. This is expected to happen on March 29, 2019.
Many participating countries, for example, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, are extremely negative about the austerity measures that France and Germany impose on them. This fact also indicates that the European Union does not have long to “live”.
Finally, hatred of the bureaucracy is growing in all countries, which is trying to concentrate more and more political and financial power in Brussels. And this happens to the detriment of the national sovereignty of the member countries of the union. This is the main driving force behind the collapse of the European Union. Moreover, this bureaucracy seems to ordinary citizens the bastion of authoritarianism, which crushed democracy under itself, which many Europeans value very much. Thus, having gone through the literally tormented stages of the creation of the European Union, many participating countries are seriously thinking about the failure of their creation, which, ultimately, can lead to its inevitable collapse.