European Parliament
Frédérique Ries (ALDE ),
in writing
(FR)
Today, Parliament has given its opinion on the strategy for managing future enlargements of the European Union.
Enlargement ‘reunions’ with our brothers in Europe – Bulgarians, Romanians, Croats, Macedonians and others, arbitrarily separated from us after Yalta. They are as destined to join us as the European Union is to integrate them. It is not the substance that I am contesting, but the form and the timescale, and that is the reason why I voted for paragraphs 5 and 6.
It is time for the European Union to enter into a proper debate about its own borders. This is something it carefully avoided doing throughout all the work of the Convention. It is a black hole in the Constitution that has amply fuelled scepticism and anxiety. Avoiding unpleasantness is an attitude unworthy of us and of our electors, and asking for a debate does not make us ‘refuseniks’ against enlargement.
A Europe without borders is of no use to those who want a European power.
Our borders may be geographical, historical and moral, of course, but they are necessary to preserve a model, a vision and common values.

