De Amerikaanse econoom Fernando Betancor ziet in de crisis rond Catalonië het failliet van de Europese integratie.
De droom van de grondleggers van de EU was ooit dat Europeanen zich langzamerhand Europese burgers zouden gaan voelen. De natie zou aan belang inboeten vanwege alle garanties van de Unie voor welvaart en veiligheid.
Op dit punt hebben de separatistische Catalanen zich vergist. Eigenlijk is het oude nationalisme al terug sinds de afwijzing van het oorspronkelijke grondwettelijk verdrag in 2005 door de Fransen en de Nederlanders.
The current crisis afflicting Spain and its wealthiest region, Catalonia, is indicative of both of Europe’s initial success and ultimate failure (...) Foolishly, the Catalans also seemed to believe that the EU would act on the principles of supporting diversity, the will of the people and democratic mandates.
The failure of Europe [is] the failure to progress beyond a club of member states. The solvent of “old nationalism” will continue to work upon the seams of the Union so long as it is merely a gentlemen’s club of member states. At some point, some crisis – populism, immigration, separatism, economic crisis, foreign war – will drive the final wedge that breaks those bonds.
This is where the Dream finally dies: on the streets of Barcelona, Terrassa, Sitges and other Catalan municipalities. If the EU has no mechanism for dealing democratically with the aspirations of its citizens, then it will never have citizens. And without citizens, it will never be able to evolve into a true federal union, a United States of Europe.
Fernando Betancor, vandaag op Social Europe, Catalonia: Death Of The European Dream
