European Union

The European Union is an important multinational construct that has served to advance the social and economic goals which were common amongst its members yet individually unattainable. The formation of the European Union has led to historical changes that will be studied for centuries to come. These changes have been good as well as bad with clear winners and losers. To understand the global impact of the creation of the European Union and its winners and losers, it is essential to understand why it was developed and what it stands for.
Quite simply the European Union (EU) was created to end frequent and bloody wars between neighbors, which culminated in the Second World War. (Gabel, 2021) The EU was formed in 1992 when 11 member countries signed the Maastricht Treaty, which was “a road map for establishing an economic and monetary union” (Moran, 2018). The treaty defined three key institutions to help govern all signing and future member countries. These institutions are the European Council, Commission, and Parliament. Further, it assisted in the creation of a common currency called the euro. Today, the EU has expanded to 27 nations with three candidate countries who have applied for admission.

The EU has provided many benefits to its member states most notably is its focus on peace. In 2012 the EU was awarded the Nobel Prize, in recognition of the organization’s efforts to promote peace and democracy in Europe. (Gabel, 2021) So far, the EU has provided 70 years of unbroken peace which is the longest single stretch since World War 2. Other major accomplishments as a result of the formation of the EU are freedom for its citizens to live, study or work anywhere in the EU, creation of the world’s biggest single market, and aid and development assistance for millions of people worldwide. Of course, there are a vast number of smaller benefits that the EU member countries have had the opportunity to prosper from but listing them out is beyond the scope of a general understanding of what the EU has to offer.

In contrast to all the positives, there are certainly disadvantages to the development and creation of the EU. The most notable of these disadvantages is the high cost of membership to be a part of the EU. Membership costs range between £300 and €873 per capita or $403 to $1,173 per capita. Using the UK government as an example, this cost them approximately £6.8 billion or $9.2 billion. Aside from the cost, there are other issues that members must consider and circumnavigate. Problems of scale arise when policies that were intended to be focused on smaller member nations are applied to member nations that are significantly larger. Member wealth is also intended to be shared amongst all member States, for example, Germany bailing out Greece. Other issues such as loss of control of immigration, and single currency problems have also applied negative pressure on the EU.

While the original agenda set forth by the founders of the EU was and remains a valiant effort to establish peace and create a better world for its members there will of course be unavoidable conflicts, pitfalls, and negative consequences. Regardless of the problems, a societal manipulation at this scale creates, the vigilant commitment of the members is foremost important. To ensure success means tirelessly keeping the goals of the EU as their guiding light. Wavering from these objectives will sow the seeds of doubt and ultimately spell the collapse of an otherwise novel idea sought and fought by many.

References
Gabel, M. (2021, October 28). European Union. Retrieved from Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/topic/European-Union
Moran, N. R. (2018). Managing Culturual Differences: Global Leadership for the 21st Century. Routledge.