EU Regroups After Double Defeat

Another AP Story here:

European leaders may have to scrap the proposed EU Constitution after Dutch voters rejected it by a massive margin, voicing their concern over dwindling national identity in a rapidly expanding union and their distrust of increasingly powerful bureaucrats.

In simpler terms, both the French and the Dutch have voted their own cultural and national self-interest over that of the broader continent-wide Europe. People there think of themselves as French, Dutch, British, Spanish, rather than European. It is akin to Californians here thinking of the interests of California first, over that of the United States on all issues. Europe is comprised of nations--and before that, kingdoms--that have existed as separate entities for almost a thousand years with their own language, culture, and unique identity. It will be almost impossible to separate those nationalistic feelings, or to channel them into some supra-national view of being 'European.' unfortunately, the policy-makers at the EU have been trying this impossible task in selling this constitution.

The policy-makers cannot push this constitution on a population with strong ties towards their own nation and culture. What the EU should try to do is to continue to develop stronger economic ties between the nations. This could be to liberalize the trade between EU nations, improve business formulation between countries, improve intrastate regulations on trade between member states, and allow a greater freedom of travel and immigration between EU members. As an economic entity, the EU can have a greater success in providing a larger market in products and services to its EU members. However, the strong nationalistic ties in foreign policy, defense, culture, language and identity is still strong within the member nations. The EU will have to remain patient in slowly changing the nationalistic bonds between the individual and their nation-state, to a bond between the individual and 'Europe.'