This interview delves into the question of once the Fundamental Law treaty renders the European Union into a federal union, what happens to the Nation States that are in the UN Security Council.
While Andrew Duff answers this question, his answer also takes us into his thoughts as he was writing the Fundamental Law of the European Union and he revealed what you cannot do in an EU treaty. See the transcript below and for more on the Fundamental Law written to revise the Lisbon treaty and move the EU forward into a Federal Union stay tuned for more from this interview found in this playlist.
Erika Grey
The Law of the Union reclassifies member states as States and its aim is for to establish full-fledged federal union, yet, in several areas it reverts back to the Nation State having preeminence such as in the UN.
Article 414 states:
States which are also members of the United Nations Security Council will consort and keep the other states and the foreign minister fully informed. States which are members of the Security Council will in the execution of their functions, defend the positions and the interests of the union, without prejudice to their responsibilities under the provision of the United Nations charter.
Once the fundamental law establishes the EU as a United States of Europe and it is a federal union wouldn’t the states that hold seats in the Security Council cease to exist as sovereign nations and have to withdraw from the Security Council such as West Germany, you know, Czechoslovakia, and the follow up question to that is also once the Federal Law [Fundamental Law] is established and political union, and the EU achieves political union and establishes the federal law [Fundamental Law] wouldn’t the federalized EU need to submit a new application and apply as a member because it would be an actual government for the people?
Erika Grey
Yes, I think what’s not to preempt or preclude from anything happening in the years to come. The problem in the present treaties is it’s very prohibited. It’s sort of what you can’t do, what you mustn’t do. What I want to do is to create a treaty constitutional treaty that is more permissive, that will permit the development of a common foreign security and defense policy in its time and as circumstances permit. I think if I had sought at this stage to prescribe the abolition of the permeant seats of France and the UK in the security council of the UN in the absence of any larger reform of the UN, incidentally, which is a different issue, but an associated one, I think that would have been considered to be rather absurd. I mean one you know one has to be pragmatic. One can be can have aspirations, one could be very have clear objectives. But I think that in the means to achieve a common international policy one has to recognize its going to take time and it’s going to take process. There is going to be a process of integration as simulation of building trust between the States of the EU, in each other’s diplomacy, sharing intelligences between them is a very sensitive issue.
Erika Grey
Yes a very delicate balance as well
Andrew Duff
So one I think can’t be- one could have been too naive about this.
Erika Grey
So that was deliberate then?
Andrew Duff
Yes,
Erika Grey
That was actually deliberate
Andrew Duff
Yes
Erika Grey
To not take that step cause that would be too offensive
Andrew Duff
More from the Interview with EU Constitutional Specialist Andrew Duff
Europe-The Future To Come-Federal Union Explained