Liberty Alone

The European Union offers great opportunities to expand liberalism and to liberalise Europe for the benefit of Europeans and the rest of the world. However, the EU appears to be regressing even further into a protectionist talking shop where governments conspire with each other and with business against the citizens of Europe and against the masses in the whole world.

Will the time come to stop feeding the illiberal machinations of some of Europe’s politicians? For some this time has come already, for others the benefits of the EU outweigh the problems. Estonia, one of the world’s most liberal nations obviously thinks that it is best to be within the EU, even though it meant imposing tariffs and contributing to the obscene Common Agricultural Policy, many British liberals are staunchly opposed to Britain’s membership and advocate withdrawal a

Part of the UK’s problem with the EU derives from the problems we have with our system of government. The legislature fails to hold the executive to account. In the European context it fails to monitor what the government’s representatives in Brussels agrees to. The EU should be a great opportunity, but we haven’t used it as such, unless you count its use as a scape-goat for British politicians to blame things on.

Is the EU and the UK’s relationship to it beyond repair? If not, how can we fix it? When will things have gone too far for liberals to support the EU?

If Liberal Democrats are to continue to support the EU we need to answer these questions. We need to provide solid reasons for British membership of the EU whilst pointing out the many flaws and solutions to those problems.

There are some signs of hope. Many of the new entry countries are more liberal, or at least less statist than old Europe. With (a lot) of luck, Sarkozy will provide the start of a road to a more liberal future for France (although it seems unlikely they’ll rediscover Batistat). Barroso has started talking in a more liberal manner as well. There are voices in the EU establishment talking about things liberally, notably Charlie McCreevy the commissioner from Ireland.

Will this be enough? I don’t know. I’m not convinced either way, and I’m instinctively an internationalist and support international institutions where they have further liberal policy.

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