Latest news with #EuropeanIntegration
The National
3 days ago
- Business
- The National
'Gulf citizenship' is a powerful idea that can bolster GCC states' national identities
The Gulf Co-operation Council member states recently agreed to jointly introduce a special part on Gulf citizenship into their educational curriculums. This timely and far-sighted step will improve the bloc's internal cohesion, ultimately contributing to the six countries' security and economic prosperity. The 1980s and 1990s were a time of great economic and political integration in the EU. They witnessed the launch of the common market, allowing EU citizens to freely move throughout the bloc while guaranteeing equal status to the citizens of the country they decide to settle in. In 1999, the single currency – the euro – was formally launched, creating a unified monetary system for 300 million Europeans. During this era of European amalgamation, I was growing up in the UK – the EU's reluctant adopted child. Owing to its unique history and island geography, the UK always retained a schizophrenic relationship towards the continent, with the public simultaneously being anxious about committing to the EU and fearing being left out. Overall, however, the sentiment was definitely Eurosceptic compared to the UK's long-standing French and German rivals across the channel, ultimately spawning the Brexit referendum decision in 2016. I clearly remember visiting the EU capital, Brussels, in December 1999 to experience the millennium transition. At that time, even though the procedural elements of European integration were very advanced, Brussels was still very much a Belgian city, full of Belgians speaking French. This helped reinforce my British-inspired impression that the EU project was very much a top-down affair, with ordinary citizens a long way from developing a European identity. Almost 20 years later, I returned to Brussels, this time as a resident of Bahrain who had conducted a lot of research on integration within both the EU and the GCC. I was pleasantly surprised to see a European identity everywhere I walked: the city had transformed into a home for people from every corner of the now enlarged bloc, and every group of people I encountered seemed to be speaking a different one of Europe's main tongues. The bank notes in my wallet were covered in European-themed images celebrating the continent's history. While the EU's capital city is not necessarily representative of the rest of the Union, it was evident to me that imbuing children with a set of European values – and teaching them to be proud of European history – played a central role in the development of European identity. As the EU has demonstrated, cultivating a bloc-level identity need not come at the expense of a national one In 2025, while the EU continues to face significant challenges of internal cohesion, on the whole, it is in a much better position economically and militarily than it would have been had each country continued to go it alone. The chastening speech delivered by US Vice President JD Vance in Munich earlier this year has further assured Europeans that they need to stick together, amplifying the value of educational curriculums that emphasise the notion of a European identity. For this reason, the GCC's decision to integrate a Gulf identity into their educational curriculums is a sage one. The evolving geopolitical constellation is creating a pressing need for the six countries to further strengthen their ties. As the EU example shows, it is critical that the top-down procedural steps be mirrored by a change in the mindset of ordinary citizens. Moreover, as the EU has demonstrated, cultivating a bloc-level identity need not come at the expense of a national one – in fact, it can reinforce the national identity. Germans today are proud to be both German and European, in the same way that Bahrainis are proud to be citizens of Bahrain and the Gulf. Educational reforms are an accelerant in this regard. Having a unified perspective throughout the population about what it means to be a Gulf citizen plays an important supporting role in striving for higher levels of economic and security co-operation between the six GCC member states. Reforming educational curriculums is the natural first step.
Al Jazeera
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Chancellor Friedrich Merz calls for renewed Franco-German cooperation
Friedrich Merz says a reset in relations is vital to help Europe overcome its security and economic 'challenges'. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for a renewed partnership with France to help Europe confront its 'enormous' security and economic challenges. At a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Wednesday, Merz outlined a joint vision for deeper European integration, calling for a 'new push for Europe' grounded in closer Franco-German cooperation. 'We will only be able to meet these challenges if France and Germany stand even more closely together than in the past,' Merz said. 'That is why Emmanuel Macron and I have agreed on a new Franco-German push for Europe.' Among the initiatives discussed was the strengthening of the Franco-German Defence and Security Council, Merz said. 'We want to better coordinate our support for Ukraine within this framework, align our national defence planning and procurement projects even more closely, and also find new answers to strategic questions of security and defence policy,' Merz added. The meeting comes at a time of mounting concern across Europe about the reliability of US security guarantees amid Russia's war in Ukraine. Advertisement In a joint op-ed published in Le Figaro, Merz and Macron affirmed their shared commitment to 'contribute to a just and lasting peace [in Ukraine], with the support of the United States on security, and strong security guarantees'. Sign up for Al Jazeera Breaking News Alert Get real-time breaking news alerts and stay up-to-date with the most important headlines from around the globe. Subscribe Your subscription failed. Please try again. Please check your email to confirm your subscription By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy protected by reCAPTCHA Macron said the two countries would fast-track new defence capabilities. The visit to Paris follows a rocky start to Merz's chancellorship after he needed an unprecedented two rounds of voting in the Bundestag to be elected Chancellor, suggesting underlying divisions within the new governing coalition between his centre-right CDU/CSU alliance and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD). But in a potential shift towards a more unified German foreign policy, Merz now presides over a government in which both the chancellery and foreign ministry are held by the same party for the first time in years. He has also pledged to establish a national security council within the chancellery, aimed at improving coordination across foreign, development, and defence policy. Later on Wednesday, Merz is due to travel to Poland. Speaking to German state broadcaster ZDF, Merz added that he intended to work with Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to shape a tougher EU-wide migration framework.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
European Commission: screening of Ukrainian legislation will last until autumn 2025
The bilateral screening process which examines whether Ukrainian legislation complies with EU law will continue until autumn 2025. Source: European Commission spokesperson in a comment to European Pravda Details: The screening of Ukrainian legislation, which is actually the first stage of accession negotiations, should be completed by autumn this year, he said. "Ukraine is making steady progress on its way to joining the EU. Ukraine is currently undergoing a bilateral screening process that will last until autumn 2025," the European Commission spokesman said. He added that "if Ukraine fulfils all the conditions, the Commission expects to start negotiations on clusters, starting with Cluster 1, 'Fundamentals', as soon as possible in 2025." On 16 January, the Commission submitted the first screening report on Cluster 1 'Fundamentals' for Ukraine to the EU Council. The submission of the screening report is the first stage of accession negotiations, during which the Commission explains to the candidate its rights and obligations as a member state (explanatory meetings), and the second stage assesses where the candidate stands in terms of legal alignment and capacity to apply the acquis (bilateral meetings). "Last week's screening report concerned Cluster 1, 'Fundamentals', which is at the heart of the EU accession negotiations. According to the negotiating framework, it is the first to be opened and the last to be closed in the negotiations," the European Commission explained. The screening report will now be discussed with member states in the EU Council as the next step. "After the EU Council agrees that the criteria for opening the cluster are met, the countries have presented their negotiating positions and the EU has agreed on its negotiating position, an Intergovernmental Conference is organised to officially open the cluster in the negotiations," said the European Commission spokesperson. He stressed that the accession negotiations require a unanimous decision by all EU member states. Background: Earlier, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos expressed confidence that the first and thirty-first clusters in the EU membership negotiations with Ukraine would be opened in 2025. In December, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine aims to open at least two clusters in the EU accession negotiations in 2025, with the maximum goal being all clusters. Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration of Ukraine, reported that Ukraine, together with Poland and Denmark, which will preside over the EU Council in 2025, had drawn up a plan to open the accession negotiations. Support UP or become our patron!
