From Nation to State: A Difficult Process

In the early 1990s, Europe changed considerably in a short space of time. In Central and Eastern Europe Communism collapsed, while in Western Europe the European Union was changing more gradually. It was broadened by the accession of more and more member states and by the growing number of associated countries. Although deepening proves to be a more difficult process, the move to Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) may be instrumental in fostering further integration. The criteria for admission to EMU are nonsensical from the economic perspective, but they do make sense from the public administration perspective. So far, European integration has mainly been economic in nature. Integration that goes beyond economics is far more difficult and will require much more time and effort to be achieved. Although European nations are jerkily moving toward the status of states, they still have a long way to go. The position of European states will remain to be different from that of the United States of America. A European federation if it ever comes into existence will be relatively loose because of the large cultural, economic, and social differences between European states.