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Despite Prize, European Union Loses Much of Its Appeal as Unity Eludes Continent Despite Prize, European Union Loses Much of Its Appeal as Unity Eludes Continent
(35 minutes later)
FRANKFURT — In awarding the Peace Prize to the European Union on Friday, the Norwegian Nobel Committee endorsed the organization’s creation story — that it has kept chronic enemies from repeating the horrors of two world wars, and remains essential for that reason. FRANKFURT — In awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union on Friday, the Norwegian Nobel Committee endorsed the organization’s creation story — that it has kept chronic enemies from repeating the horrors of two world wars, and remains essential for that reason.
But nowadays the idea of a German armored thrust across the Rhine seems far-fetched. The artillery from such an attack would only target potential Volkswagen customers in Alsace or German tourists stocking up on bargain wine at Monoprix.But nowadays the idea of a German armored thrust across the Rhine seems far-fetched. The artillery from such an attack would only target potential Volkswagen customers in Alsace or German tourists stocking up on bargain wine at Monoprix.
From its earliest days as the European Coal and Steel Community that France, Germany, Italy and three smaller neighbors set up in 1951, the united-Europe project was at its inception mostly about business, harnessed to serve a political agenda. It was no accident that its successor organization a half-dozen years later, the European Economic Community, was known as the Common Market.From its earliest days as the European Coal and Steel Community that France, Germany, Italy and three smaller neighbors set up in 1951, the united-Europe project was at its inception mostly about business, harnessed to serve a political agenda. It was no accident that its successor organization a half-dozen years later, the European Economic Community, was known as the Common Market.
As a result, the prize awarded to the European Union prompted some commentators to wonder Friday whether the organization needed a more contemporary marketing pitch for citizens who mostly have no memory of war, who may be more likely to associate the Union with inept management of the euro zone crisis. As a result, the prize awarded to the European Union prompted some commentators to wonder Friday whether the organization needed a more contemporary marketing pitch for citizens who mostly have no memory of war, who may be more likely to associate the bloc with inept management of the euro zone crisis.
“Young people don’t have the slightest idea what it means to be in a war,” said Charles Barthel, director of the Robert Schuman Center for European Research and Study in Luxembourg, named for one of the founding fathers of the Union and based in the house where he was born. “Young people don’t have the slightest idea what it means to be in a war,” said Charles Barthel, director of the Robert Schuman Center for European Research and Study in Luxembourg, named for one of the founding fathers of the bloc and based in the house where he was born.
“It would not be bad if Europe could think of a grand new vision,” Mr. Barthel said. But with the most tangible symbol of integrated Europe — the euro currency union — at risk of crumbling around the edges, he conceded that he did not know what the vision could be.“It would not be bad if Europe could think of a grand new vision,” Mr. Barthel said. But with the most tangible symbol of integrated Europe — the euro currency union — at risk of crumbling around the edges, he conceded that he did not know what the vision could be.
That may be the question raised by the Nobel committee and its statement Friday that “the Union and its forerunners have for over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe.” That may be the question raised by the Nobel committee and its statement on Friday that “the Union and its forerunners have for over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe.”
Some critics saw the award as unintentional confirmation that the founding premise of the Union is noble but obsolete, and that a new one is needed if the organization is to overcome the enormous social and economic strains that it faces.Some critics saw the award as unintentional confirmation that the founding premise of the Union is noble but obsolete, and that a new one is needed if the organization is to overcome the enormous social and economic strains that it faces.
Open Europe, an organization in London that lobbies for limits on European Union power, sarcastically likened the prize to a lifetime achievement award for a Hollywood has-been.Open Europe, an organization in London that lobbies for limits on European Union power, sarcastically likened the prize to a lifetime achievement award for a Hollywood has-been.
“You can almost picture the actor (the E.U. in this case) — dragging themselves up onto the stage to collect their award despite having since gone through several broken marriages, a series of stays in rehab, and a ton of plastic surgery,” the organization said on its blog. “You can almost picture the actor (the E.U. in this case) — dragging themselves up onto the stage to collect their award despite having since gone through several broken marriages, a series of stays in rehab and a ton of plastic surgery,” the organization said on its blog.
A few commentators even suggested that the Union’s role as a guarantor of peace is exaggerated. A few commentators even suggested that the bloc’s role as a guarantor of peace is exaggerated.
“Until the end of the cold war, it was NATO more than anyone else that kept the peace,” the former British foreign secretary, Malcolm Rifkind, was quoted as saying by The Associated Press, referring to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. “Until the end of the cold war, it was NATO more than anyone else that kept the peace,” the former British foreign secretary, Malcolm Rifkind, was quoted as saying by The Associated Press.
Certainly, the founders of the Union were deeply scarred by war and were searching passionately for a way to abolish future conflict. Mr. Schuman, a French foreign minister whose family’s citizenship toggled back and forth between Germany and France depending on which one had most recently seized the surrounding countryside, escaped Gestapo arrest and spent World War II underground. Certainly, the founders of the bloc were deeply scarred by war and were searching passionately for a way to abolish future conflict. Mr. Schuman, a French foreign minister whose family’s citizenship toggled back and forth between Germany and France depending on which one had most recently seized the surrounding countryside, escaped Gestapo arrest and spent World War II underground.
He and others who had seen the trauma of war up close were behind the proposal, in 1950, to place coal and steel industries under common supervision, so they could not be used to make military products. That established a precedent of using economic policy for political ends, which culminated almost half a century later in the euro.He and others who had seen the trauma of war up close were behind the proposal, in 1950, to place coal and steel industries under common supervision, so they could not be used to make military products. That established a precedent of using economic policy for political ends, which culminated almost half a century later in the euro.
The common currency was designed to yoke a unified, newly powerful Germany to the financial success of Europe, and political leaders pushed it forward in spite of warnings from economists that the continent was not ready for the political and regulatory integration that makes the common currency of the dollar work, for example, in a unified federation like the United States. The common currency was designed to yoke a unified, newly powerful Germany to the financial success of Europe, and political leaders pushed it forward in spite of warnings from economists that the Continent was not ready for the political and regulatory integration that makes the common currency of the dollar work, for example, in a unified federation like the United States.
Anne Deighton, a professor of European international politics at Oxford, said it is impossible to say whether European integration prevented further wars. “It is a counterfactual question, so we shall never know,” she said in an e-mail. Anne Deighton, a professor of European international politics at Oxford, said it was impossible to say whether European integration prevented further wars. “It is a counterfactual question, so we shall never know,” she said in an e-mail.
But she defended the results. “It gave a new direction for European politics,” she wrote. “It allowed the continent to build upon the postwar burst of modernization and prosperity in the Western world by enlarging markets, and freeing up trade barriers.” But she defended the results. “It gave a new direction for European politics,” she wrote. “It allowed the Continent to build upon the postwar burst of modernization and prosperity in the Western world by enlarging markets, and freeing up trade barriers.”
She joined many others on Friday in noting the irony that the Peace Prize came from a country where “successive Norwegian governments themselves have been unable to persuade their own peoples to join the E.U.” She joined many others on Friday in noting the irony that the prize came from a country where “successive Norwegian governments themselves have been unable to persuade their own peoples to join the E.U.”
It was the lure of a better material way of life that helped lure countries in the former Soviet bloc to become free-market democracies so they could join with Europe.It was the lure of a better material way of life that helped lure countries in the former Soviet bloc to become free-market democracies so they could join with Europe.
Recently, though, the euro zone’s problems have slowed European expansion, and may even be pushing in the opposite direction. Poland is no longer eager to join the common currency and the European Union’s ability to enforce democratic principles has been challenged in Hungary, where the government has been harassing opposition media. Recently, though, the euro zone’s problems have slowed European expansion, and they may even be pushing in the opposite direction. Poland is no longer eager to join the common currency, and the European Union’s ability to enforce democratic principles has been challenged in Hungary, where the government has been harassing opposition news media.
Protesters in Madrid or Athens may not seriously want to drop out of the European Union, but they no longer take its benefits for granted. German media perpetuate stereotypes of lazy Greeks while some Greek protesters invoke Nazism while condemning Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany. Protesters in Madrid or Athens may not seriously want to drop out of the European Union, but they no longer take its benefits for granted. German news media perpetuate stereotypes of lazy Greeks, while some Greek protesters invoke Nazism while condemning Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany.
In the euro zone, financial integration has gone into reverse, even as euro zone officials struggle to create stronger institutions, such as a common bank supervisor. Banks have pulled back on cross-border transactions and lending, and companies in Spain pay double the borrowing rates of companies in Germany even if they are just as creditworthy. In the euro zone, financial integration has gone into reverse, even as euro zone officials struggle to create stronger institutions, like a common bank supervisor. Banks have pulled back on cross-border transactions and lending, and companies in Spain pay double the borrowing rates of companies in Germany even if they are just as creditworthy.
Earlier this month, Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank, lamented this continental drift.Earlier this month, Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank, lamented this continental drift.
“When you see two subsidiaries of the same company located in two different countries and paying completely different interest rates for their borrowing,” he said, “when you see exactly the same individual borrower, say a young couple that wants to buy a flat, and paying a completely different interest rate on mortgages, then you start asking yourself, maybe there is a problem here.”“When you see two subsidiaries of the same company located in two different countries and paying completely different interest rates for their borrowing,” he said, “when you see exactly the same individual borrower, say a young couple that wants to buy a flat, and paying a completely different interest rate on mortgages, then you start asking yourself, maybe there is a problem here.”
Amid all the scrambling by European leaders to deal with the euro crisis, there is no serious attempt to articulate a new vision for Europe that will seem relevant to modern citizens of European Union nations.Amid all the scrambling by European leaders to deal with the euro crisis, there is no serious attempt to articulate a new vision for Europe that will seem relevant to modern citizens of European Union nations.
“Banking union, fiscal union — the normal person doesn’t know what to make of that,” said Mr. Barthel of the Schuman Center. “Everyone is regressing to their national interests. Solidarity is not so popular anymore.”“Banking union, fiscal union — the normal person doesn’t know what to make of that,” said Mr. Barthel of the Schuman Center. “Everyone is regressing to their national interests. Solidarity is not so popular anymore.”
Economic benefits alone are not enough to hold the Union together, he said. “The new vision has to have economic content, but that is not enough,” Mr. Barthel said. “You need to give the people something they can identify with, something European they can identify with.” Economic benefits alone are not enough to hold the bloc together, he said. “The new vision has to have economic content, but that is not enough,” Mr. Barthel said. “You need to give the people something they can identify with, something European they can identify with.”
To Mr. Barthel, the idea that Europeans could shoot at each other again someday is not as absurd as many people think. The breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991 showed that, he said, although Europe did later show itself able to keep the peace in Kosovo and Bosnia.To Mr. Barthel, the idea that Europeans could shoot at each other again someday is not as absurd as many people think. The breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991 showed that, he said, although Europe did later show itself able to keep the peace in Kosovo and Bosnia.
“The Balkans show how quickly it can happen,” Mr. Barthel said. “Peace is not so self-evident.”“The Balkans show how quickly it can happen,” Mr. Barthel said. “Peace is not so self-evident.”
But the European dream, if still looking for its new myth narrative, has not died. Bosnia and Serbia, Mr. Barthel noted, are both now trying to get into the Union. But the European dream, if still looking for its new myth narrative, has not died. Bosnia and Serbia, Mr. Barthel noted, are both now trying to get into the bloc.