10 May 2004
THE admission of ten new countries from mostly Eastern, Central Europe and the Mediterranean, into an enlarged European Union (EU) has been described by international relations pundits as one of the most momentous events in the 50-year evolution of the Euro-unity project. It also represents a 'logical culmination' of the tearing down of the Iron curtain in 1989 when the cold-war era came to an official end.
This enlargement of the former 15-member union comprising mostly countries of western European origin into a 25-member club that now includes three former Soviet states has also been viewed as having far reaching global geo-political, economic and strategic defence implications not only for 'old' Europe, but also for those outside the enlarged E.U. especially Africa which has traditionally looked up to old Europe for survival.
Stretching from the Aran Islands in the West to Carpathia in the East, the new E.U, has been put at par with the U.S. in population and potentially as a dominant power economically and militarily.
Except for China, the enlarged E.U. has the potentials to be an economic, political and strategic counter-weight to a United States that has recently shown a great appetite for unilateral action in the absence of the Soviet Union thus posing a great danger to world peace.
This prospect that the enlarged E.U. is poised to play a greater role in reigning the world back from uni-polar dictates of a dominant U.S. is enhanced with the probable adoption of a unified E.U. constitution that will formalise the economic and cultural unions developed over the years.
Though the enlarged E.U. brings with it certain internal contradictions and apprehensions among some of its members who fear the dilution of the historical national identities such as Britain and also because of the fact that most of the 10 new members are on the average poorer than the rest of the earlier members, many still are of the view that these challenges are building - blocks for a revitalized Europe capable of spreading the message of liberalism around the world.
Which brings up the implications of this new, bold political expansion of the European Union for non-EU members particularly Africa. Where does Africa stand on the balance sheet of an enlarged, and quite realistically, hegemonistic European Union?
The first implication should be economic. Prior to the drive for full economic and political union, many African countries gravitated towards their historical, colonial partners for economic and political support, giving rise to such neo-colonial tendencies like Franco-phone, Anglo-phone, African alliances and affiliations which reinforced Africa's division rather than unification.
In terms of trade, aid and investments ,Africa with its perennial inability to sort itself out despite heroic efforts to form the African Union, will be further pushed to the margins. This possibility is real considering that, most of the newer E.U. members will be legitimately in competition for trade rights, investments and aid with other donor-recipients from E.U. And considering their comparatively superior infrastructure, political organisation, and discipline honed over the decades, the less affluent new E.U. members are inclined to gain more support of their European neighbours than Africans can ever hope to have.
Furthermore, in terms of mobility of labour and skills, Africa still stands at a disadvantage since Eastern, Central and Mediterranean Europeans would have rights to jobs before any others.
Much as it can be argued that the expansion of E.U. may impact negatively on non-members, the recent ceremonial welcoming of new members may turn out to be the tonic and wake-up call that Africa needs to get its act together and push forward for a more meaningful African Union.
That is the challenge the EU expansion poses for African leaders and citizens.
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