As European Union turns 60, it’s starting to feel its age
Britain’s exit may not be last as leaders gather Saturday in Rome
European leaders gather in Rome on Saturday to mark the 60th birthday of the European Union at a time when the 28nation bloc faces threats to its long- term survival.
Just six of the EU’s current 28 members signed the 1957 Treaty of Rome, which established the European Economic Community, the EU’s predecessor. This weekend’s ceremony takes place five days before British Prime Minister Theresa May invokes legislation that starts Britain’s two- year legal path to a formal exit from the group.
Britain may not be the only deserter from an alliance that once had visions of creating a mighty union that would rule all of Europe.
Economic integration, including free trade and movement of residents, helped bring prosperity to the continent. But in recent years, disenchantment with the bloc has been growing from France to Greece over EU policies viewed as negatively impacting on jobs, sovereignty, security, immigration and national identity.
Those views have sown deep divisions among EU members about how closely they should integrate.
“The EU has good reasons to celebrate its last 60 years — or at least most of it. It promoted peace, democracy and cooperation among its members and created the world’s largest single market,” said Michael Wohlgemuth, an economist and director of the Berlin office of Open Europe, a think tank.
The predecessor to the EU was set up in the wake ofWorldWar II to forge unity to prevent another conflict on the continent. The six founding countries — Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands — believed that economic cooperation would make it difficult to turn to war.
Formore than a half- century, the EU expanded, including the addition of former communist states. Nineteen members share the euro currency.
Saturday’s ceremony will see the bloc’s 27 remaining members endorse a new Rome declaration that emphasizes unity and solidarity.
There could also be an attempt to allow wealthier and more powerful nations such as France and Germany to pursue closer economic and political integration. Eastern European countries such as Poland fear that would leave them as second- class members.
Ton van den Brink, a professor of EU law at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, said the biggest challenge for the EU is to reinvent itself to ensure unity.
“It needs to be clear that the EU should address the issues ordinary people are concerned about,” he said.
Those issues include controls of immigration, jobs, trade, labor standards and economic regulations, now set by the EU.
There was one sign Friday that senior EU officials understand that.
“A celebration about the past should always be about your plans for the future,” Frans Timmermans, vice president of the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said in a live video interview on Facebook.
“Given all the challenges we face, we need to discuss these plans with our ( 500 million) citizens. Europe will not be made without ( them).”