I dream of genie
If chaos theory has any validity, then the failure of Britain's political parties to publicly debate key European Union (EU) issues during their recent electioneering will send waves of negative sentiment around the continent. Cynical politicians in Europe will now use it as a model for how not to talk straight when running for public office.
Rational discussion on EU membership, enlargement and the euro was stifled. The one lone voice, Conservative Party leader William Hague's divisive Little Englander campaign to save the pound, failed to strike a chord with an apathetic electorate more interested in promises of healthcare and transport reforms. And these issues were wisely trumpeted by the ruling Labour Party throughout its campaign. Whether the party can deliver the goods is beside the point ultimately Tony Blair knew that public debates on all things European would be a sure vote loser. Silence, in this case, is golden, especially when the country's notoriously nationalistic tabloid media is straining at the bit for any signs of compromise over EU issues.
But the truth is that debates on the EU by publicly elected professionals should have been at the core of issues raised by all parties. This is not just true for Britain, but for all Europeans, members and aspiring members alike. People have a right to know what membership, enlargement and a common currency mean to them. Instead the issue is fudged by politicians desperate to save their own skins by damping down debate.
A trifling 26% of people in existing EU member states see Union enlargement as an issue worth talking about, everybody else either doesn't care or is actively hostile. In Poland only 55% are eager for EU membership, while in the Czech Republic only 45% see membership as a positive move. With Spain and Italy disputing regional development aid, and Austria and Germany insisting on a seven-year transition period for the free movement of labor, no wonder the EU is becoming a dirty word around the continent.
So, there's never been a better time for politicians to tell their citizens about the benefits of membership. For all the scare stories of a left-wing federalist dictatorship ruling out of Brussels, enlargement is beneficial and necessary. Of course there are problems to solve, but they can only be resolved through lively discussion.
A new wave of Union members, for example, will add an estimated 100 million eager consumers to the EU. It will create 300,000 jobs and hugely boost foreign direct investment in all new members. All kinds of barriers will come down, tariffs will tumble and the free movement of money, people and expertise will greatly enrich the continent. To qualify for membership, new states will have to have economies rooted in transparency, in the rule of law and functioning multi-party democracies.
All Europeans have a right to know what's in store, to know what membership means for them. Instead, out of petty self-interest, many politicians are keeping the genie firmly in the bottle. But the I-know-best attitude of yesteryear simply won't wash in the future.
