France and Germany's attitudes to EU enlargement
...ked Germany’s E.U plans and called for a two-speed Europe that would involve a ‘pioneer group’ of member states leading the way with integration. (CNN website) France and Germany would keep their roles as the leaders of the E.U. The vision of a two-speed Europe was proposed by Chirac after a German-led debate about how to organise the current E.U members in preparation for the new members. Germany and France are in agreement that a Europe organised in this way could be effective in ensuring the possibility of some countries going further with integration without being slowed down by those who do not wish to go as fast. In his speech Chirac noted that the slower countries were well within their rights to opt for this slower pace and that the ‘pioneer group’ would be open for others to join at their own speed. France and Germany do in fact already go further ahead in certain areas than other E.U members. The single currency is a good example of this and France and Germany see this as a case of an already existing two-speed Europe. Enlargement of the E.U will involve further division into fast and slow tracks and in the opinion of France and Germany, it is unavoidable and the only way to ensure that the union moves forward and does not remain at the speed of its slowest members. In 1995, a survey was carried out on all 15 current member states to assess the attitudes of the citizens towards E.U plans. In France 49% of the population thought that ‘those countries ready to intensify the development of a common European policy in certain important areas should do so without waiting for others’. In Germany the percentage was 45%. This survey shows that at this time, the nations attitude towards a two-speed Europe was somewhat different and not as solid to that of their leaders who had proposed this image. (Flash Eurobarometer 43) Major issues which arise from future enlargement of the European Union are immigration, asylum, security, unemployment and the role of E.U citizenship. The opening of borders raises economic and cultural issues for German society. For the last century or more, the country’s identity has been vague. Presently, a re-united Germany is still struggling to find a new identity and this is connected to the prospect of E.U enlargement. By the end of the 1950s, the deutschmark was very strong and a symbol of national pride. A lot of the German public still see the euro as a disastrous successor to the mark. They blame the changeover for price rises and refer to the euro as the Teuro (teuer=expensive). (BBC website) With enlargement, a single market of 500 million consumers will be created. (Frankfurt-ebc website) Currently, the euro is very strong and not dissimilar to what the mark used to be. Many Germans worry that enlargement could make the euro weaker rather than stronger due to the current financial situations of the new member states. The Benelux governments have associated their economic successes with Germany and have relied on the decisions of the Bundesbank in Frankfurt. (CNN website) Germany’s attitudes towards immigrants is dire due to their fear of further losing their national identity. Germany is expected to benefit enormously from enlargement as it will gain new markets and access to cheaper resources but there is widespread fear across the country of unemployment through job losses. Many firms will move to cheaper sites in Eastern Europe but the “threat” of both skilled and unskilled immigrants is a constant worry to the Germans. The German public's concern is that immigrants will take their jobs. Due to Germany’s concerns with migration and the fact that it is one of the current member countries that is the closest to the new member states, it is thought that it will prevent freedom of movement until 2011. (CNN website 2000) German police fear enlargement and the rise in immigrants from CEECs as there has been a rise in the extreme right in eastern Germany. The Federal government in Germany have said they will offer thousands of visas to new immigrants from CEECs. This spurred on a controversial campaign by the Christian Democratic Union to train German children instead of foreigners. (CER website) After giving up their treasured Deutschmark and fears of mass migration to the country, the Germans are worried about even further loss of national identity. On the other hand, German population is declining and there is a need for skilled labour which cannot be provided from inside the country. Germany should consider immigration as something that is actually needed. In November 2002, a survey by ‘Flash Eurobarometer’ showed that in Germany only 38% of the German population thought that enlargement would mean that it would be ‘easier to control illegal immigration’ and in France, the percentage of the population was even less at 32%. 67% of Germany and 56% of France thought that ‘opening up borders would make it harder to tackle crime and drug smuggling’. The European public (particularly in France and Germany) are more troubled by the numbers and origins of asylum seekers and immigrants than they are about the actual enlargement. Moreover, the French far rights (namely LePenn’s National Front) and their anti-immigration attitude is often tied with Euroscepticism. Enlargement could strengthen this initiative and this is one of the worries that the majority of French people have. The addition of new member states that are unknown to many EU citizens might support the longing to keep others out. Another aspect of enlargement that the French in particular are very opinionated about is the reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy which are anticipated to reduce the costs of applying it to the CEECs. France is the dominant agricultural country in the E.U. Agriculture plays a key role in the economies of the ten new member countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Enlargement will affect the design of the CAP hugely. France and Germany are in agreement that it requires adjustment in advance of further enlargement. Without reform, the ‘poor’ and farm-intensive CEECs could bankrupt the E.U budget. For example, the large Polish farm population could severely affect the financial balance of the E.U as it currently stands. (Leonard, 1997:248)) The financial situation of the E.U after enlargement is on...