A prominent anti-Brexit member of the European Parliament has called for a “United States of Europe” warning that failure to act could see the continent ending up “on the menu of imperial empires”. Remoaner Guy Verhofstadt, a Belgian MEP and President of the European Movement, a network of organisations that has mobilised citizens and advocated for European integration since 1948, took to X to warn of the dangers of US President Donald Trump’s apparent desire to turn his back on European security.
The former Prime Minister of Belgium was commenting on a video of Canada’s new PM Mark Carney addressing the media after a Cabinet meeting on Thursday. Carney had told reporters: “The old relationship we had with the United States based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military cooperation is over.”
Reponding to the clip of Carney’s remarks today, Verhofstadt wrote: “Carney is right, the battle now is also to reduce EU dependence on US. To become a sovereign United States of Europe,” he continued. “To do this, 27 Commissioners, 27 Armies, 27 vetos, no single capital market, 3 Presidents, no single person to call in Europe..doesn’t make sense anymore!
“Europe must be reimagined,” he argued, adding: “Evolve to survive or be on the menu of imperial empires or China, Russia, US…”
Verhofstadt’s calls for a “United States of Europe” will likely spark fears of a civil war in the bloc, as the famous Remoaner is not without his critics. Proponents of the idea, which is as yet only vaguely defined, see it as a way of shoring up the continent’s security, and stripping away the barriers to forming a more compelling military deterrent against threats like Russia.
But opponents believe the idea of a consolidated major power that could compete with the likes of the US is fanciful given the linguistic, cultural, and politcal differences across the continent. The prospect of a “United States of Europe”, a single European superstate is one that has been in the offing for several years – and ever since French President Emmanuel Macron spearheaded the idea of an EU Army.
It comes amid negotiations the US is leading to end Vladimir Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine. It followed Trump’s decision to slap a 25% tax on imported vehicles and vehicle parts, a move he claimed was “permanent”, and which would have a profound impact on Washington’s allies, including Canada, a major exporter of cars to the US.
Meanwhile, Trump is now reportedly seeking US control over all of Ukraine’s rare minerals and energy assets – including oil and gas – in a major expansion on his previous demands as Washington leads negotiations for a ceasefire to end Putin’s three-year war in Ukraine.
The proposed deal, which has been seen and compared to holding a gun to Volodymyr Zelensky’s head by The Daily Telegraph, would ramp up Ukraine’s dependence on the US.
Trump has also consistently cast doubt on his commitment to Europe’s security whilst striking a conciliatory tone towards Russia, prompting panic within Europe’s biggest powers, and pushes to increase military spending.
