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I don't think that the people of Europe are particularly enthusiastic about the EU being expanded beyond economics. The constitution has already been shot down in France, meaning that it will be years before an European Union constitution is ever ratified by all member states.
[/ QUOTE ] Polls indicate that Europeans are still, by large, pro-EU. Europeans do not want national sovereignty to be handed over to "Brussels" but national sovereignty is been slowly eroded, intra-EU, with very good effects and without pain.
As to the rejection of the Constitution, this had more to do with the way it was put together ("by committee", literally and metaphorically), resulting in a true mess. Additionally, a lot of people, especially in the countries that rejected it, believe that the proposed Constitution did not give the proper attention to the matter of expansion of the EU. The Union keeps expanding without getting coherent enough first, to the delight of London and Washington who want a weak EU.
Turkey does not belong in the European Union, in the opinion of many Europeans, because of geography more than religion. If Turkey gets in, then what about Morocco or Lebanon -- or Israel? Why would they be denied entry? This worries Europeans who want to see their Union having specific geographical boundaries.
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Great Britain has even refused to use the Euro.
[/ QUOTE ]Great Britain's foreign policy on Europe has been consistent for more than six centuries : Prevent any European power from assuming pan-European supremacy by any means necessary. This has been the basis of Britain's alliances and overall scheming since great Queen Elizabeth's time. And if a country does seem to be assuming pan-European supremacy (France, Spain, Germany), Britain unfailingly went to war against it.
Now, with the EU, the Foreign Office is even more busy -- after all, the EU cannot go to war against the Franco-German axis! But the Euro-politics of Britain remain the same : Prevent, weaken, sabotage, or destroy the union of continental Europeans. (The results of the Euro-Constitution referenda in France and elsewhere were hailed in Whitehall as a triumph of British policy!)
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Even with those problems, I think it is most likely that there will be a United States of Europe within our lifetimes. May not be so good for the United States.
[/ QUOTE ] The Chinese are already voting Europe. Heard about the order for commercial aircraft recently signed by the Chinese?
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