The F… word

It is astonishing to watch, especially from the EU leaders, the intellectual constructions and reconstructions, not to mention the rounds about, to avoid the F… word. No, not this one, the other one: Federalism. As the Euro zone crisis deepens, as the world is asking European leaders to find a breakthrough solution to strengthen the Monetary Union, as any solution is seek to find an exit to the current financial mess, most of European politicians keep refusing to use the F word. That so extreme (listen to the interviews, when asked about federalism "euh not exactly", "not really", "yeees… but maybe in 20 years" and so on) that it would have been funny if the consequences of that circus would not be even more troubles for Europe.

We have built a single currency, we have federalized a certain number of powers at the EU level. It's difficult if not impossible to go further with the old recipes. The so-called step by step policy is over. No time left. Now it becomes urgent to improve consistency among Member States and, above all, to improve the governance which lacks efficiency and clarity, EU leaders try everything they can to avoid the only true substantial move forward. They might be afraid to be considered as treators, like Madison for some people in his home State, Virginia, or perhaps they are just willing to keep their business and see Europe as a threat to it. Or they are just scared to jump into the unknown because they don't get the vision. Whatever the reasons, they all play a funny dance around the fire of federalism, trying to get the warmth of it without being burnt.

But where is the exit? Can we really go further into the intergovernmental, or national, way? As time passes way, it is childish to imagine that you'll fine the miracle construction where all will be fixed and everything will be again business as usual. This will not occur. Wake up, we have touched the limit of the good old system! Either we go back to the national level, and the Euro will die, or we decide to achieve the political union, whatever you call it. Both choices can be defended even if we have obviously quite our preference. But time has come for a decision and the worst political choice would be, and that exactly what we are doing just now, not to take any decision. It is not just wrong politics, it is dead end politics.