5c092d0346f86f400c309202_pa3795c.jpg Paul Lachine

The Unraveling of Europe’s Peace

One unintended effect of the Arab revolutions is that the link between security and integration that forms Europe’s foundation is decoupling. Europe's governments find it more politically rewarding to pursue security by erecting administrative or physical barriers.

COPENHAGEN – The European Commission recently unveiled long-awaited measures to bring neighboring countries in the Mediterranean and the former Soviet Union closer to Europe. On the same day, another department of the same Commission presented proposals aimed at curbing visa-waiver programs for some non-European nationals. Few missed the irony of formulating two plans that pointed in opposite directions.

Attracting neighbors has long been a noble aspiration – and something of a European specialty. The European Union’s embrace of post-communist republics in Central Europe represented a most powerful symbol of the reach of Western liberal democracy.

In today’s neighborhood, where EU expansion is not in the cards, Europe hopes to shore up its presence by opening its huge internal market and increasing assistance. Crucially, the Commission’s recent proposals include the creation of “mobility partnerships” with Tunisia, Morocco, and Egypt, aimed at facilitating travel for local students and businesspeople.

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