Comments by "Paul Aiello" (@paul1979uk2000) on "The Plan for a Multi-Tier Europe Explained" video.

  1. A multi speed EU could work, but power will always remain in the inner core of countries, which for now is Euro Zone countries, in other words, countries that are at arm's length, would they really be comfortable with the idea of more powers shifting more towards inner core countries? Inner core countries will end up with far more advantages, not to mention that they are more likely willing to integrate, which will give them more advantages over the other core countries. I do think it can still work, but I have to wonder about the countries that are hanging back, their influence overtime would become smaller over time, it would also put more pressure on the outer core countries to want into the inner core, a bit like how gradually, more countries keep joining the Euro and to put it another way, the inner core countries make the rules, the other ones abide it, in the case of the EU now, you've got a few layers, the Euro Zone, the EU and EEC countries, it's not hard to imagine over the long run where the voting patterns are going to go, especially in Euro Zone countries as they become more integrated with each other, that puts the rest in a difficult position, especially the ones that don't want to integrate, it basically means they become rule takers or it pushes them fully out of the EU and it's only going to get worse for the likes of Poland and Hungary as more eastern EU countries join the Euro as it ends up isolating the remaining countries and that will in time translate into political power in favour of Euro Zone countries. So even though a multi speed EU can work and might be the best solution for the time being, I think eventually, it's going to lead to most if not all countries being pulled into the inner core, otherwise, their inelegance will in time become weaker, almost to the degree that they could become rule takers, which ironically could be the best way to get rid of the countries in the EU that don't want the project to work or are in for selfish reasons, after all, if you look at it, countries that drag their feet, the UK, Poland, Hungary and the likes, these will hold back on many areas like the Euro, now that might not be an issue for them now, but it's a given that more powers will be concentrated on the inner core groups of countries and that is Euro Zone countries, or to be blunt about it, the rest are not that important and let's not kid ourselves, power is always going to shift towards the inner core countries because of integration, the UK found that out by more or less being pushed aside by others in the inner core of the EU when the UK was in the EU, the same will very likely happen to those other countries unless they become more integrated.
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  2. This is more about a gradual approach to integration, something that some countries might find easier to stomach compared to the current process. It also might help in getting reforms and changes done in the countries that want to join by showing them that there is hope of making progress, something that's been really lacking over the last decades and many countries that want into the EU are losing hope that it will happen and that makes it far harder for them to do the changes needed to join. A more gradual approach could be beneficial for both the EU and the countries wanting to join by having a smaller dosage of change needed for the country wanting in, which will be politically and publicly easier to do in a gradual approach compared to having a massive book of rules that they have to reform and abide by. The EU would also benefit in that you keep the countries that are not as into integrating into the project out, so the likes of the UK, Poland, Hungary and so on, the benefit of that, it becomes harder for these countries to hold back the countries that want to join, the downside for the countries on the outer ring is that they will in time get left behind as more powers end up being concentrated on the inner core countries, especially as they integrate closer together, which is probably the biggest fear some countries like the politically elites in the UK fear the most, a multi speed EU would allow that to happen far sooner by allowing core countries to get on with it, and just like the Euro, more countries will gradually join as they see it working, it would likely be the same for a multi speed EU with inner core countries moving ahead of the rest, the irony being is that the inner core countries could end up winning by default.
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