WeAreProEU

Peace in Europe

Europe’s history is filled with war and strife, whether between European nations or with others beyond the continent. Regardless of how far back in time one cares to look, this is an indisputable fact that one cannot deny other than through a lack of historical knowledge.

Yet over the last 50 years, the number of wars within Europe has reduced substantially, to the point that some European countries have enjoyed an unprecedented period of peace within their own borders as well as with their neighbours for over 50 years. So who or what has brought this era of peace within Europe?

For the anti-EU movement, this peaceful period is solely attributed to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation [NATO]. From their perspective, the European Union has done nothing to bring the peace in Europe, and its only because of NATO and the USA, that Europe has enjoyed this tranquil period. From the pro-EU movement’s perspective, the opinion is divided between those that believe it is solely the EU, and those that believe it’s the combined effect of both the EU and NATO.

So where does the truth lay? Is it NATO, is it the EU or is it a combined effort and effect of both?

NATO itself is comprised of 28 countries of which 21 of them are also members of the European Union. The EU member states that are not part of NATO are Malta, Sweden, Cyprus, Finland, Ireland and Austria. One could use the argument that because NATO is made up predominantly of EU member states, these countries have used NATO to provide the peace within Europe and in particular the European Union itself.

However this argument falls flat on its face when one looks at the wars that have arisen within Europe. Prime examples are the Greek-Turkish clashes, where both are members of NATO yet the organisation has been unable to stop the bloodshed. So if NATO is supposedly the sole reason why Europe has had such a long period of peace, one begs to ask “why then has it not been able to stop its own members from fighting each other?”.

On the other hand, one could claim that it’s the European Union itself that has brought peace, and this can easily be substantiated by the fact that every single member state that has joined, has seen no war with its fellow EU members. True, some member states have clashed with other nations within Europe, but none have clashed with other EU member states.

Personally I believe that the truth lies in the combined effect of both NATO and the EU.

The European Union, and its predecessor the European Economic Community, have brought the member states closer together through political and economic integration. The divisions that have led nations to war in the past, have been blurred to the extent that these nations now have more in common than in their differences. The political systems that are in place within the EU, the economic interlinking between the nations, and the unique structure of the European Union itself, has led the member states to not only avoid going to war with each other, but also provided the venue for them to resolve their issues without bloodshed.

The ability to discuss their issues, the underlying principles of the European Union itself that member states must not only respect the other members but also their borders and interests, has been a pivotal point in ensuring peace within the European Union’s borders. NATO itself with its membership being predominantly EU member states has given these countries another venue for resolving issues without firing a single shot.

Without the EU member states, NATO would dwindle to a group of 6 nations. Without NATO, the EU would not have an effective “military” wing. So through the political and economic integration provided by the European Union, and the military “union” provided by NATO, they have together given the EU member states this era of peace. Together, these two entities have taken out of the equation the reasons that do lead nations to war against each other.

by James aka EUR

This article has been produced exclusively for the WAPEU website.  Its reproduction is permitted as long as the article is used in full and acknowledgement is given.