Germany's Stance on the Idea of the Construction of a Federal European
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CONFRONTATION AND COOPERATION 1000 YEARS OF POLISH–GERMAN–RUSSIAN RELATIONS V OL . I(V)/2019: 10–20 DOI: 10.2478/conc-2019-0002 Krzysztof Garczewski Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Poland Germany’s stance on the idea of the construction of a federal European Union Key words: European Parliament, election, European Union, Germany’s European policy Introduction new integration model and European Union needs new reforms, new elites and political leaders. It also needs Beginning of the 21st century was a breakthrough mo- NATO and closer cooperation in the Euro-Atlantic sy- ment for the European Union. It’s been decades of stem. As the only security assurance for the West and unification for Europe. A few years ago the EU faced its high position in the multipolar international order is challenges and problems calling for the debate about a strong transatlantic community based on strong its future. During 2004–2013 number of the member NATO and effective EU, for Europe not to be a half states doubled causing issues with making key decisi- periphery or the periphery in a multipolar international ons1. Reforms to improve coherence and effectiveness order”2. EU leaders were more and more aware that wi- of the EU turned out to be ineffective. The financial cri- thout bold changes the organization may be pushed to sis lasting for several years has revealed many deficien- the margins of the world politics. cies in the operation of this organization and activated Thus, the key role played Germany due to its poli- supporters of a European federation. They engaged in tical and economic input in Europe. “European policy a public debate stressing that only creation of “the Uni- is terrifyingly complex, yet shockingly simple. One does ted States of Europe” would allow it to maintain the not need thousand words to describe it. Three words unity and the status of a strong player in the emerging will do – time for Germany” a famous British histori- new international order. Their opponents criticized an, Timothy Garton Ash, commented in 2014, on the transfer of national competences for the EU instituti- eve of the European Parliament elections3. Europe was ons. Józef M. Fiszer stated that: “Today, Europe needs correct to expect Germany to execute bold well-based 2 J.M. Fiszer, Wstęp, [in:] System euroatlantycki w wie- 1 At the beginning of the 21st century the EU consisted lobiegunowym ładzie międzynarodowym, J.M. Fiszer, P. Ol- of 15 member states. On May 1, 2004, the biggest, so far, szewski (ed.), Instytut Studiów Politycznych PAN, Dom enlargement took place as 10 new states enter the organiza- Wydawniczy ELIPSA, Warszawa 2013, p. 37. tion, including Poland. In 2007 Romania and Bulgaria and 3 T.G. Ash, Czas na Niemcy w Europie, translated by in 2013 Croatia acceded the EU. S. Kowalski, „Gazeta Wyborcza”, 21.05.2014, no 116, p. 9. Krzysztof Garczewski: Germany’s stance on the idea of the construction... 11 pro-European vision allowing the whole Europe to face That would also allow Germany to execute its interests. the modern world challenges. For some of them Europe Other politicians were against integration. In their opi- turned out to be unprepared, as they were hard to pre- nion the EU should be just a loose union of autonomous dict, such as European migrant crisis of 2015 or Brexit states. Such opinions are presented e.g. by National De- process initiated in 2016. mocratic Party of Germany (NPD), the Republicans or This article aims to analyze the role of Germany in Alternative for Germany (AfD). The latter was created public discussion about the future of the EU as well as in 2013 and criticized federalization efforts and ideas. Germany’s stance on EU federalization before the refu- gee crisis or Brexit4. The author presented and analyzed opinions of German politicians and society on EU fe- Christian democrats and liberals deralism, election programs of German political parties on EU federation (formulated before 2014 European Parliament election) and researched data published by German media. Christian Democratic Union for Germany (CDU) as Thw federation is a union of the states that partial- a leading political party ensured that it supported the ly waive their sovereignty. There is a division of power idea of “a strong Germany in a strong Europe“ („Für between federal structures and self-governing states. ein starkes Deutschland in einem starken Europa”) and Matters of foreign policy or security of public finances that there is no Germany without EU („Ohne die Euro- should be under federal authority, while internal affairs päische Union ist Deutschland für uns Deutsche heute are mostly conducted by the component states. The nicht mehr vorstellbar”)8. Their support for integration states inside federation are politically autonomic. In process was strong but conditional: there must be bet- federal entities, unlike in unitary states, there is decen- ter effectiveness in decision making within EU („Ent- tralization and devolution of power5. Present and future scheidungsvorgänge verbessern”). Christian democrats form of government and structure of the EU has been believed that many choices could be made without EU a subject of many public debates6. Some changes were participation, as “not every task in Europe is a task for enforced by the Treaty of Lisbon7. Nevertheless, it is still Europe” („Nicht jede Aufgabe in Europa ist auch eine a constant companion of political activity in member Aufgabe für Europa”). In their opinion EU should con- states, Germany included. centrate on matters that could be overcome collectively German discourse on the future of the EU was two- on European level („gesamteuropäisch”). CDU wanted fold. Some politicians believed that it is necessary for EU to intervene only when it would be more effecti- EU institutions to be strengthened by increasing their ve than actions taken by states, regions or local autho- competences. German supporters of European federali- rities9. To strengthen democratic and closer to people zation stressed the need for strong and united Europe. union competences should be transferred back on na- tional level („Rückführung von Zuständigkeiten auf die 4 The main part of this article was written in 2014. nationale Ebene”). Christian democrats did not want 5 A. Antoszewski, Federacja, [in:] Leksykon politologii, to expand European Commission’s influences, they A. Antoszewski, R. Herbut (ed.), ATLA 2, Wrocław 2000, would rather have its legislative initiative to concentrate p. 132–133. 6 Compare: T.G. Grosse, Hybrydowy ustrój Unii Europej- on “truly necessary” political tasks („Die neue Europä- skiej. Dwie logiki zmian w projekcie traktatu konstytucyjnego, ische Kommission muss sich bei ihren Gesetzgebungs- „Analizy natolińskie”, no. 3(26) 2008. vorschlägen auf die wirklich notwendigen politischen 7 More on this subject see: Traktat z Lizbony. Główne re- Aufgaben konzentrieren”). They also approved for the formy ustrojowe Unii Europejskiej, J. Barcz (ed.), Urząd Ko- direct election of the election of the president of the mitetu Integracji Europejskiej, Warszawa 2008. On funkc- tioning of the European Parliament after the Treaty of European Commission in “the long run” („langfristig”). Lisbon see e.g.: Parlament Europejski po Traktacie z Lizbony. CDU also wanted that any decisions on transfer of sta- Doświadczenia i nowe wyzwania, J.M. Fiszer (ed.), Instytut Studiów Politycznych PAN, Warszawa 2011. On the devel- opement of the European integration from the World War 8 „Gemeinsam erfolgreich in Europa“. Europapolitischer II to the Treaty of Nice see e.g.: J. Górska-Szymczak, „More Beschluss des 26. Parteitags der CDU Deutschlands, Berlin, perfect Union” versus „ever closer Union”. Rozwój unii mię- „Tagesschau.de”, 05.04.2014, p. 3, http://www.tagesschau. dzypaństwowych w Stanach Zjednoczonych i Unii Europejskiej de/europawahl/parteien_und_programme/parteien-europa- w pierwszych pięćdziesięcioleciach ich istnienia, Jagiellońskie wahl100.html, [05.05.2014]. Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Toruń 2018, p. 57–96. 9 Ibidem, p. 7. 12 Confrontation and cooperation. 1000 Years of Polish-German-Russian relations tes’ powers to EU institutions be left to determine by und Sicherheitspolitik“)15. They reject idea of “more the member states10. Europe”(„mehr Europa”) presented by “the federalists” Christian democrats also widely deliberated on pos- – “we need better Europe, not more of it” („Wir brau- sible communitarisation of debts, expressing opposition chen ein besseres Europa statt immer mehr Europa”). to the idea. At the beginning they were strongly against In CSU opinion all of “important decisions” about Eu- it. In 2014 in the election program for the European rope should be approved by Germans in a referendum Parliament CDU presented softer, yet still negative, („Wir wollen Volksabstimmungen in Deutschland über stance. “Common responsibility requires united fiscal wichtige europäische Entscheidungen”). Members of and financial policy that we are still far away from” this party also would like to diminish the role of the EU („Gemeinsame Haftung setzt gemeinsame Haushalts- Commission by empowering the Council or European und Finanzpolitik voraus. Davon sind wir noch weit Parliament, especially on the initiative level („Wir wol- entfernt”) – one could read in the document11. This len ein Ende des Initiativmonopols der EU-Kommissi- view was attacked by Eurosceptics such as AfD12. CDU on”). Thus, interests of certain regions or states could be also opted for the further strengthening of the elements taken into an account in a larger extend. of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). CSU believed that EU should reduce its compe- Additionally, they wanted to increase the role of, inter tences back to “primary functions” („Die Kompetenzen alia, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign der EU müssen auf ihre ursprüngliche Funktion zu- Affairs and security Policy13. rückgeführt werden”). Hence, their program in 2014 The Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) was suggested creating “a Competence Tribunal” on a Eu- against the idea of building a federal EU.