Libertas.org

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has this week published discussed his plans for a Mediterranean Union. Nobody knows what it is, or what it will be for, neither the 20 memberstates he’s trying to appeal to (all with coastlines on the Mediterranean) or any EU members. The EU Commission appears to be furious, and is demanding clarification from France about their intentions.

Sarkozy is pushing for a ‘pragmatic’ union of countries in the Mediterranean, but his proposals lack any detail on identity or any purpose on what this new union will seek to achieve, Sarkozy has suggested a ‘regional alliance’ will bring together countries who can work together on a vast range of interest areas. In his speech on Tuesday, he openly expressed an invitation to any country in the area that wished to join. Some of those countries are bitter enemies, Syria & Israel and Cyprus & Turkey. The last country there would appear to be the key. By France promoting a union with Turkey, it may be seen as an attempt to both counter-act and undermine Turkey’s accession attempts into the European Union.

So, will this Mediterranean Union be likely to succeed in a similar vain to the European Union? Europe began from the Coal & Steel Community - an extremely specific economic cooperation that has led to the EU of today, 50 years later. Without any specific goals or ideals - the major fear of many of these Mediterranean countries, is that this proposed union is nothing more than both a cynical attempt to control Turkey’s EU accession, and curb illegal immigration and terrorism in the area.