And the Wheels Stopped Turning
A SEARCH FOR EUROPE'S FUTURE By Jürgen Habermas European governments are at their wits' end. It is time for them to admit it -- and let the public decide about the future of the European Union. and everything comes to a grinding halt. The farmers are upset about falling global prices and the new regulations constantly coming from Brussels. Those at the bottom of the social ladder are upset about the growing gap between rich and poor, especially evident in a country where both groups live in close proximity. The citizens despise their own politicians, who promise the world but who lack perspective and do not (cannot) deliver. And then along comes a referendum over a treaty that is too complicated to be understood. EU membership has been more or less advantageous. Why should anything be changed? Doesn't the strengthening of European institutions necessarily lead to a weakening of democratic [...]