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| Top 10 Misconceptions About The European Union Posted: 23 Dec 2012 09:05 PM PST Even though many have looked upon it with a frowned eye, the world has to accept the fact that the European Union is the new kid on the block. The idea of forming such a political, economical and social entity emerged from the necessity of reforming the old continent. While the EU is viewed as a single force, it is still too early to dub it state or confederacy, given the fact that its members continue to rely on their own governments, finances and still enjoy national identities. This dilemma concerning the definition of the EU entity leads many non-European countries to have false perceptions regarding the EU.
1. EU’s economy is sclerotic The economy of the European Union is far from weak, given the fact that it currently produces an output surpassing that of the US and China combined. Despite the fact that it has been seriously injured by the global economic crisis, Europe still enjoys lower unemployment rates, higher GDP, while the ROIs outperformed those of the United States. Unlike the US, the old continent is powered more by smaller companies and is not as dependant on major corporations.
2. Russia controls the EU’s economy from the shadows While back in the days, the entire continent was dependant on Russian gas, nowadays it only utilizes approximately 6.5% of the natural resource. For quite a few years now, Europe has started implementing a system based on renewable and greener energy. In fact, the EU members made a commitment to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions by increasing the percentage of renewable energy used by 2020.
3. EU has no international power The EU has a great advantage to the United States and other countries of the world: a rich experience in diplomatic relations. After all, how else could it keep all the 27 member states happy? This velvet diplomacy proprietary to the EU made it possible to reevaluate the definition of power and the way it should be understood in the 21st century. Make no mistake, just because it does not show off with a strong military force at each dictator’s doorstep, it does not mean that its methods and results are not equally effective.
4. The European Union has no future The recent acknowledgment of the large financial deficits that some of the EU members are experiencing has paved the way for many speculations, including the fall of the European Union. A special case is that of Greece whose insolvency is believed to weaken the currency and severely affect the other countries’ economies. Without denying Greece’s alarming deficit, it is necessary to mention that it is only 2.2% higher than the one in the US. Besides, the European Commission is already working on several strategies in the eventuality the Greece decides to leave the EU.
5. The EU is formed on Marxist principles It is very likely that the false premise according to which Europe has extreme socialist orientations resides in the misinterpretation of the concept of “codetermination”. Considering that the idiom refers to the ability of the workers to select their own board of directors, you cannot get more democratic than that. It is very possible that the false idea has originated from the fact that the EU decided to harness the wealth-creating capacity, as promoted by former communist dictators.
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