20111108

The Eurozone needs opposition in Europe?

It is a little embarrassing for Germany that all other members of the Eurozone will default, so let’s argue that they will solve this somehow. Fredrik Reinfeldt, the prime minister of Sweden has invited other peripheral countries, like Denmark and the UK, to a tête-à-tête in Stockholm Northern Future Forum in February 2012 according to Svenska Dagbladet. It is a follow-up from last year in London. Sir John Major reminded us the other day in the Financial Times that EFTA still exists: Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Island. How about forming an opposition team if it is impossible to get all countries under one flag?

The benefit of such a scheme would be that people know who should support who. Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece belong to team Germany. Although Arnold Toynbee said in his famous tome A Study of History that civilizations are OK as long as they expand. Then the barbarians come back, Toynbee said. People are still talking about expanding the EU which to me seems doubtful considering the circumstances. As I blogged about once before, Samuel P Huntington suggested you leave countries with distinct other culture out and the diversity of the present EU has been shown to be too large. The Catholic Croatia is probably going to work whereas the Orthodox Serbia should remain outside.

It should be noted that the fault line between the Eurozone and its hypothetical opposition is Catholic/Protestant to a large extent. We have Poland, Germany and France on the one hand and the UK and the Nordic countries on the other. Assuming that Poland joins the Euro. It is at the same time a fault line between more devout and secular. It will work better language wise also since the Nordic countries are well versed in English and France and Germany prefers their own. In other words, forget the EU. The EU was a peace project but with Poland, Germany and France in the same boat peace is assured.

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