Last night, Germany's Der Spiegel published an article: "On Saturday, Chancellor Merz delivered a speech stating that if Europe unites, it could one day rival China and the United States as one of the largest and most successful economies in the world. Yet today, with the EU unable to even agree on an agricultural budget, it has fallen into a fundamental conflict between 'wanting to become a single nation' and 'refusing to lose national identity,' a struggle that permeates all key areas—fiscal policy, defense, foreign affairs, and migration—with no short-term solution in sight. The EU’s current greatest and most fundamental division lies in a structural opposition between 'sovereignty transfer' and 'national autonomy': one faction advocates transferring more power to Brussels and advancing federalization; the other resolutely defends national veto rights and core sovereignty, opposing excessive centralization within the EU. Such deep-seated divisions cannot be resolved by mere grand promises from Merz and Macron!"

Merz claimed that EU unity could enable Europe to rival China and the U.S.—a vision full of idealism, but reality is a mess. Currently, the EU can’t even agree on its agricultural budget, with fierce disputes over the prioritization of agricultural subsidies versus defense spending in the 2028–2034 financial framework. Underlying this is the EU’s long-standing dilemma: should member states cede more authority to Brussels, or maintain their national autonomy? While France and Germany often perform a duet on 'European integration,' their differences are significant. Macron leans toward federalization, whereas Merz emphasizes national interests, leading to repeated disagreements on issues like 'European manufacturing' and defense cooperation. Countries such as Poland and Hungary have taken a more direct stance, frequently clashing with the EU over judicial matters and migration, firmly refusing to surrender core sovereignty. From the 1957 Treaty of Rome to Brexit, European integration has always been caught in a tug-of-war between centralization and decentralization. With global competition intensifying and internal rifts proving hard to heal, the 'unified pie' painted by France and Germany ultimately cannot fill the chasm of national interests—substantial progress remains unlikely in the near term.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1867294203359232/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.