By Andreas Gkoumplias,
On the 6th of October, the leaders of 44 countries met in Prague in an attempt to establish the European Political Community. The idea was conceived earlier this year by French president Emmanuel Macron in an attempt to expand the existing European Union with the inclusion of countries that are not part of the closed group, with the purpose of addressing common issues between the countries and also strengthening the security and stability of Europe as a whole.
The main purpose of the formation of the EPC was to address issues that arouse with the energetic crisis, immigration, climate change, and more. But the main reason behind the formation of the EPC was that with the war still raging between Russia and Ukraine, it is evident that Russia and Europe/the European Union are going to be sitting on opposite sides of the table for quite a while since Europe openly showed its preference to the outnumbered Ukraine from the beginning of the war. Now, as the war is raging on, Europe is progressing one step ahead in order to further secure the future of Ukraine as well as of other countries close to Russia like Belarus, Georgia, and Moldova, that are not part of the European Union as it stands. From a perspective, it seems like a rather strategic move from the European leaders, as they are actually trying to eliminate the Russian influence from these countries, as well as help them be a part of the European home since their entry to the European Union can face a delay up to a decade.
Questions may arise, however, because of the general state of the countries that are not members or are pending membership like Ukraine or Turkey. The whole purpose of the EPC is to actually facilitate the grounds for these countries, and for the 17 in general, that took part in the summit, and provide them with a stable ground to stand on. The whole purpose of the formation of the EPC and of the summit as well as to declare and show unity, as we all know strength is in numbers, so all countries of the summit should be treated as equals by the party leaders, not like some underdogs or candidates. The idea that was projected at the summit was that of a Europe that is financially independent and can handle problems such as the energetic crisis on its own without any external help. While in theory that is a great suggestion, it is necessary that equality for the members of the summit and mutual understanding from everyone prevails, so that no problems arise in the process.
To summarise, the idea of a completely unified Europe is a great one. However, as great as it may seem, it is very hardly achievable due to the fact that the leaders of each country have their own aspirations and goals. One thing can be said with certainty: if all differences are put aside and cooperation prevails, Europe can become stronger in everything and the countries in the EPC can greatly benefit from it.
References
- At the Prague Summit, the family photo is the message, politico.eu, Available here
- Prague European summit may be a relief for Truss, but Brexit won’t go away, the guardian.com, Available here
- Factbox: Who is at the EPC summit in Prague, and what are they discussing?, reuters.com, Available here
