EU celebrates 60th anniversary amid division on multi- speed integration

The EU- 27 leaders will meet on Saturday in Rome for the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, where the hard discussions on the future of the EU will be expected to take shape amid divisions on European integration within the bloc.

Leaders of EU member states are due to discuss the White Paper when they gather in Rome, which was unveiled by European Commission President JeanClaude Juncker earlier this month.

In the White Paper, Juncker laid out five scenarios for the way forward after Brexit, ranging from carrying on the single market only, so- called multi- speed Europe to the full integration.

At the Rome summit, leaders are expected to outline a common ground on EU’s future. However, the EU- 27 is far from reaching a consensus on integration.

The leaders of the big four states in the EU- 27 – Germany, France, Italy and Spain – have endorsed the vision of a multi- speed Europe ahead of the summit. While meeting in France to prepare for the Rome summit, they agreed that some EU countries could deepen integration faster than others.

“We should have the courage to allow some countries to move ahead, to advance more quickly than others. Cooperation can be kept open to those that have fallen behind,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

The idea of a multi- speed Europe is also backed by Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, or the so- called Benelux, a group of the EU’s founding members.

“I prefer a multi- speed able to continue than a Europe that is not able to move,” said Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.

But some governments, especially in the bloc’s eastern part, fear this could deepen divisions to their disadvantage.

On a common ground, the Visegrad Four countries ( Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary) have rejected the idea of a two- speed Europe, fearing they will be excluded from deeper integration in the future.

The leaders of four countries stated after their Warsaw meeting, “any form of enhanced cooperation should be open to every member state and should strictly avoid any kind of disintegration of the single market, Schengen area and the European Union itself.” Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said, “We will not agree to division within the EU, because that leads directly to disintegration.”

There are divergences between other member states regarding the future cooperation on economy, social, political as well as defense issues.

Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila said Finland accepts the various levels of momentum within the EU. “Finland wants the EU to focus on economic growth and security, and to be united and able to function,” he told media in Brussels.

Romanian Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu stressed that the country opposes multi- speed Europe and supports the strengthening of the European project in its current form.

“Europe needed to redefine the current situation and talk about not a Europe of ‘ multiple speeds’ but one of ‘ multiple options,’” Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said in an article published by the Greek newspaper.

“All levels of closer cooperation must be open and freely accessible to all member states,” Tsipras noted.

For some European politicians, the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, which paved the way for European integration, is expected to be an opportunity to launch a process of “rebirth” of the EU.

During the European Parliament debate last week, European Council President Donald Tusk called the discussions between European leaders “constructive and open.”

Tusk confessed he understood why concerns around a “multi- speed” Europe needed to be discussed. He saw that the scenario, while controversial, would be sobering for people who want to weaken the EU.

“It is my hope that Rome will be a turning point in the reintegration of the Union,” he added.

Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni underlined that “Europe cannot stand still.”

“I believe that, first and foremost, this should be an occasion to remind public opinion, to remind fellow citizens in Europe of what has been achieved over the last 60 years,” Gentiloni affirmed, “Recalling achievements helps us to think about the future,” he insisted.

Gentiloni warned against underestimating the difficulties facing Europe, prioritizing solutions for ongoing economic trouble, the need for solidarity in the face of heavy migratory flows, and a unified front against populist nationalism.

“It has a duty vis- a- vis its own citizens to provide solutions to the challenges and problems that face us,” he said.