EUROPE OTHERby Edouard BalladurEditions Fayard 158 pages

THE UNITED STATES OF EUROPE

by Guy Verhofstadt

Editions Luc Pire, 70 pages.

EUROPE OTHER

by Edouard Balladur

Editions Fayard, 158 pages.

Propose, in full crisis of confidence of Europe, to create "the United States of Europe"...: should be in the least Belgian and perhaps even Prime Minister to a such incongruity. Since the double "no" French and Dutch referendum on the Constitution, "the silence" reigns over the Union. Also, say forcefully that you still want to believe in a federal project is almost rudeness. Guy Verhofstadt, Belgian and Prime Minister, is not afraid to go to an improperly high. Convinced that, contrary to appearances, the citizens want more Europe provided that it meets their expectations, he said that an integrated Europe "is the only option for the old Continent".

The Constitution, said, has not been rejected because it was too ambitious, but because it lacked ambition. And the future of the continent lies, according to him, "the construction of a Europe based on a Community Foundation or federal." Specifically, it proposes that the image of the United States of America, which "could overcome the great depression of 1929 by implementing a federal socio-economic policy", the European Union building, on the basis of the euro, economic policy and social commune. "The euro is our best argument", argues, since it is already the most sophisticated European tool. The idea would be to gradually harmonise the budget States, These countries should also focus their effort on research and information networks. "The European economy will thus be competitive without pay in social dumping", writes the author.

A hard core

The Union will have then two concentric circles: "core policy", constituted the "United States of Europe" on the zone euro and, autour, a Confederation of States, a "organisation of European States". Nothing would then prevent Europe to continue to expand to many least developed countries in the economic and social since will be they things not or not immediately the hard core. "Combining thus widening and deepening", two concepts that are opposed, said the Prime Minister of Belgium.

"United and differentiated".

Europe of circles is also at the heart of the reflection of Edouard Balladur. It is yet not federalist as his heart or rather reason looking for a Europe of nation States where the Council of Heads of State and Government should take, once and for all, the ascendant political Commission. Another sign of its preference for a Europe of States, he argues for the end of equality principle between Member countries and taking account of demographic and economic of each weight. It is the only way, he explains, to make agree to renounce unanimity in sensitive areas such as taxation or social issues.

These important differences aside, the current President of the commission of Foreign Affairs of the National Assembly is in the same sense as Guy Verhofstadt: the establishment of new forms of cooperation that would allow those wishing to move faster toward integration. If he categorically rejected the principle of the "hard core", unique, that it considers "neither realistic nor effective", Edouard Balladur proposes "the internal circles Union bringing together on concrete projects, States wishing to advance more quickly". "There is no uniform Europe, but a diverse Europe", he says.

This idea is, according to him, his way among the European leaders, as he imagines these circles to build, informally, outside the treaties. They could affect the euro area, defence, justice, or taxation, each time with different countries. On the first circle, to organize a second circle "common law" which would correspond to the current Union and which would mark "a long pause in enlargement. And, beyond, a third circle, allowing "partners" nearest the Union related to contracts adapted to each. Some of its neighbours, but some only, would be called upon to accede to the Union, now "Circles, both United and differentiated Europe".