Is Bigger Better?
I was reading something or other in EurActiv earlier, and I came across a line about Václav Klaus’s support for enlargement of the EU. Considering his rather well known position on the Union, it seems odd that he’d support making it bigger.
But in a way, it makes sense. The EU needs some form of cultural coherence in order for it to hold together. If it is too diverse in its membership, then it risks losing the unity of action that it needs.
So is supporting an enlarged Union something that pro-Europeans ought to do? On the face of it, it seems like the right thing to do. After all, we broadly want to share the benefits of the EU with all Europeans, and enlargement is a way to do that. However, putting the question in the context of Klaus’s views suggests that a settling period for the EU might better serve the strength of the ‘European project’.
It’s an interesting question to ponder just a couple of days after Albania announced its intention to apply for membership.