CHALLENGES
ADEKEYE ADEBAJO: EU paradise plagued by populist swarms
Despite epoch-making successes, reversals in popular referendums suggested that Europe’s leaders were not taking their populations with them on this journey without maps
The English poet John Milton’s classic Paradise Lost portrayed a vain God being plunged into a celestial civil war by a "radical" Satan who instigated a third of the angels in rebellion against "Heav’n’s awful Monarch". The Devil had also caused humankind to lose its immortal haven in the Garden of Eden. As the EU celebrates its diamond jubilee this month, its history could also represent a case of "paradise lost". Europe had been the epicentre of two hellish world wars between 1914 and 1945 before the continent was partitioned and forced to cede global pre-eminence to two superpowers: the US and Russia. However, Europe’s incredible economic integration, which ensured an end to military conflicts, suggested the continent also represented a case of "paradise regained". The EU can be seen as an effort to build a modern Tower of Babel by bringing together 500-million people in 28 countries, creating the world’s largest market and the world’s only truly supranational organisation. The u...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.