European Union Expansion by 2030

[Insula Dei]

The EU should probably only expand to countries willing to go along in the further development of the Union. It is already too much of a large Free Market-zone and too little of an actual union.

[Insula Dei]

Anyone who thinks Europe would be on the brink of war without the EU is really much too clueless to even be considered. Sorry. I can really only echo Franzl and Johan in this thread.

Gustaf's 100% right on this...and I say that as someone that supports the EU anyway.  (Mainly out of my dislike of the nation-state itself)  Europe isn't going back to war.  (Note: this statement includes the Balkans, but I stand ready to redefine it to not include the Balkans)

The Balkans is a good example of why forcing countries into unions without popular support is not a good idea if you want peace.

After all, 95%+ of all wars in the world are civil wars. And most conflicts end when unions are broken up (Scandinavia, Balkans, Czechoslovakia, etc)

Are you now trying to predict that the EU will lead to a pan-european civil war?

[Insula Dei]

If the EU doesn't function fully democratically that has a lot to do with the lack of enthusiasm of certain member states for the European Project. The idea of a directly elected European 'President' is something I am very much in favour of. Or if that's too much asked, perhaps we could have had Blair rather than Van Rompuy.