7.10.05

A nova Commonwealth?

This week, the European Union did something remarkable. It chose to become an all-European commonwealth, not the part-European superstate of Tory nightmares. You see, the main effect of the bitterly contested opening of membership negotiations with Turkey is not to ensure that Turkey becomes a member of the European Union, which it may or may not do 10 or 15 years hence. The main effect is to set the front line of enlargement so far to the south-east that it ensures the rest of south-eastern Europe will come into the EU - and probably before Turkey. There's a nice historical irony here. Turkey, which in its earlier, Ottoman, form occupied much of the Balkans, and therefore cut them off from what was then the Christian club of Europe, is now the European door-opener for its former colonies.


Timothy Garton Ash, ontem, no Guardian.

Muito interessante esta análise de um importante acontecimento desta semana que passou ao lado dos jornais portugueses. O mundo avança e nós andamos bastante distraídos.