Can the E.U. continue without a fundamental – and urgent – rethink of the whole idea and a complete overhaul of its structure (that must involve the jettisoning of at least half of its ‘competences’ and institutions)? An idiotic queston. But to maintain slightly formal tone of this diary, allow me to paraphrase:
“The answer is simple”, as one drunk architect will say shortly. “It’s impossible.”
The depressing aspect of the question and the answer is the fact that they have remained unchanged for at least two decades, which makes all those interceding conferences, meetings, summits, treaties, constitutions - and what have you - that the E.U. has been busily, and costly, involved in not even a damage limitation exercise, but a damage perpetuation exercise. Sad. (And fucking ridiculous, too.)
Browsing through the press the other day and getting an update on the on-going collapse of the European Union, I recalled a short exchange I had with ‘president’ of the E.U., a minor Dutch political semi-entity, called Herman van Rompuy. It took place a while ago at Warsaw University where Mr R. met with a large number of students, teachers and a few politicians in a large modern lecture hall of the Old Library in the main university campus. I told Mr R that the all the absurd and costly money tranfers that the E.U. is arranging are not only damaging to the economy – because they distort markets – but also will explode the whole thing in an extremely acrimonious way. I suggested that you could perhaps get away with such large sums changing pockets within a family, but never between strangers. “Decades after the whole thing blows up, we’ll still be arguing about who screwed who, and bitter taste will linger”, I warned Mr R., "So, in the interest of Europe", I went on (excuse my focus on what I said, but what he said was so incoherent and not to the point that there isn't a slightest point repeating it), "I suggest to you that the E.U. should committ suicide!"
He didn’t let me down and answered incoherently and not to the point. And was my sound advice heeded? Just take a look around...
