Separatists movements in Europe are getting more play these days as the Euro currency crisis wreaks havoc across Europe. But some say that membership rules will prevent these movements from becoming members of the EU:
A state can be admitted to the EU only if all existing members agree. The more countries there are in the EU, the harder it becomes to achieve unanimity of all states. ...
For instance, on the basis of [discouraging secession], a number of EU countries – Spain, Romania, Slovakia and Greece – have refused to recognise the secession of Kosovo from Serbia and refuse to have anything to do with the new state of Kosovo.
Let us suppose that Scotland, Catalonia or Flanders succeed in becoming independent and want to stay in the EU; they will have to apply to join and will not be readmitted to the EU unless Spain, Romania, Slovakia, and Greece all agree – and overcome their current objections of principle – to secessions.
Yet the EU would love secession to be encouraged, in my opinion:
Why should the Brussels bureaucrats care if they ignore Belgians or Flemish and Walloons? Hell, the more the merrier. If larger states have difficulty moving the central proto-state, how will little specks on the map have any impact at all? Only the nation-states smart enough not to subdivide will retain any influence at all. But they will likely be swamped by population numbers. And who will be smart enough to resist the lure of their own flag!
There could be a Flemish Oblast and a Walloon Oblast to join with scores of other administrative entities.
This is classic divide and conquer.
Consider this incentive to divide a feature of the European Union rather than a bug. The Brussels transnational elites will laugh all the way to their new undemocratic empire while the silly people atomize their once-influential nation-states into little ethnic theme parks.
Let the people have their postage stamps and flags, the EU overlords likely think! The power will lie in Brussels, and who will be large enough to stop them?
Call me cynical, but the contempt the EU bureaucrats have for democracy will demonstrate itself on this issue. Whatever they need to do, the Brussels Eurocrats will find a way to finesse this rule.
Perhaps it will be as simple as declaring in another rule that any state confirmed by the EU for membership has its approval passed down to any parts of that state that apply for membership. See? Approval was already granted. Welcome Scotland! Welcome Catalonia! Welcome to all the little statelets too small to stand in our way! Here's your postage stamp and flag!
Mark my words, mere rules will not stop Brussels. They don't need to show anybody no stinkin' rules.
