"Live Players" with Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg EU in Flux
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Aug 2, 2024 The podcast dives into the European Union's origins and current challenges, including a fragmented digital market and inconsistent defense policies. Brexit's impact is analyzed, revealing unexpected immigration increases and strained economic ties. Discussions touch on potential EU unification and the rise of a European superstate amidst global competition. The struggle for political and military unity within the EU is examined, alongside the complexities of higher education and talent distribution. Finally, the tensions surrounding national identities and the future of cohesion in Europe are explored.
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EU's Origins Were About Scale Not Just Peace
- The EU was created to secure peace and provide economic scale for medium-sized countries against US advantage.
- These twin goals are fundamentally questions of scale that the EU has only imperfectly solved.
Digital Market Is Fragmented Despite Brussels
- There is no true EU digital single market because national regulations and privacy laws fragment the space.
- Brussels' additional legislation often acts as another barrier rather than a unifying standard.
Standardization Requires Political Integration
- The EU achieved standardization in goods more than in labor or digital services, but that requires deep administrative unification.
- Regulating a unified market inevitably demands extensive political and bureaucratic integration.