Europe's regionalist temptation

"It is yet to fully come to terms with enlargement, but already another specter is stalking Europe: regrouping," writes Jean-Michel Helvig. "We see Catalonia demanding distinct-nation status from the Spanish, the first step toward the establishment of a state which, down the road, could in turn claim member-state status. And why not Padania, Bavaria, Scotland and Flanders? While this national-regionalism has become more radicalised since the enlargement of the 90's, it is already rooted in the way the community functions. The regions that strive for autonomy use thesupra-national aspect of Europe to circumvent their governments, thereby gaining a hearing for their own interests - particularly economic ones... This movement that seeks to regroup member states is, first and foremost, an expression of the selfishness of rich people who do not want to 'pay' for Polish plumbers, Slovenian lumberjacks or Calabrian bricklayers."

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