I’m sure that headline was designed to be scary. But it makes *me* feel all warm and fuzzy inside...
Your links go to the wrong article.
The rebirth of the Holy Roman Empire.
With EU for an umbrella, I don’t see any reason that historical regions such as Scotland or Catalonia shouldn’t separate, and do so amicably.
EU citizenship still allows people and goods to move freely throughout the territory.
The second dark ages.
Great Britain’s publishing a heapin’ helpin’ of drama and sobbing for Europe. Cheer up. It’s not all that bad.
The reversion to natural and familial borders continues, as the illegitimate Empires of Europe are finally buried.
PS: Russia is not monolithic either. Ukraine was in fact the birthplace of Russia (Kievan Rus) and we know that they haven’t exactly crawled back into the tent. Belarus same story.
The challenge for the future will be to integrate these states economically, while maintaining only a loose confederation politically, and do so without war and bloodshed.
The model is the Velvet Divorce of the Slovaks and the Czechs. Only Emperor Putin and the Council of the EU doesn’t get that.
How ironic that Germany, one of the most balkanized European countries only 150 years ago, should be the glue that holds together Europe — the same Europe it nearly destroyed twice in the last century.
Germany is too strong to come apart. They will dominate Europe for quite some time. Germany is a young country, made up of many nation states that came together. Sort of like the United States (which is not so united these days). Stronger together than separately. Once East and West rejoined, there was no stopping them from taking over Europe peacefully this time. Hopefully they can conquer that muslim thing going on in Europe.
Folks, we have witnessed what balkanization has resulted in. It generally isn’t peace.
IMO there is more to be gained by simply accepting the situation as it is at some point. Now is as good a time as any.
Is it the sound mind that seeks separatist success, or is it merely another aspect of the Marxist ideology working it’s magic? I would suggest it’s the latter.
For my kids sake I hope there will be peace between Eurabia and Amerexico.
The French will not be paralyzed forever and may object to a Europe quite so Teutonic, although a Europe equally Gallic would probably go over fairly well, recalling the pre-1914 pretensions of French being the world language. French nationalism has a longer pedigree than nearly anyone's, and Germany has only been Germany since 1871, after all.
Such a fissiparous tendency may be a two-edged sword, serving not to increase local power so much as to make it flow toward Brussels. Should the Flemish break off from Belgium, so what? It becomes a District of Columbia for the capital of Europe. In other words, the actual result might be a centralizing tendency as much as a centrifugal one.
Interesting times.
What’s changed? Was Spain ever really that much of a power in Europe? How involved was Britain? France and Germany have always been the core of Europe, and once France gets over it’s Hollande funk, maybe they’ll pull their own weight again.
That “pandora’s box” was reopened a very long time ago, and it should never have been closed.
There is nothing wrong with people governing themselves, the only red herring people point is is other country’s conquering territories. Voting for Independence is perfectly legitimate, natural, and necessary to sustaining anything but an oppressive country.
It is only when countrys are as tyrants say ‘divisible’ that their bounds are ever built upon the mutual good will and consent of the governed.