Catalina Chernavvsky Sequeira for People's Daily

The Ultimate Question: Keep or Scratch the European Union?

By Catalina Chernavvsky Sequeira in Baltimore (People’s Daily)

The Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) in Europe consists of 57 members from Europe, Central Asia, and North America. It was created during the Cold War as a forum for discussion between the East and the West. It is the world’s largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization, and its main focus includes arms control and human rights, among others.

Currently the OSCE is discussing whether or not the European Union—a political union made up of European countries—should be maintained and/or enhanced. The main question that delegates must seek to answer is this: In what ways can Europe benefit from a structured union, or how can forming one overarching alliance across the continent be detrimental?

Those who are pro-EU primarily argue that with an alliance comes free trade. Nations can work together to help one another and simultaneously gain something in return. A union can provide a United Nations-like organization that brings together people from many different cultures and allows them to voice their opinions and solutions for the continent as a whole, not just for their individual country. In short, the EU would be a regulator and facilitator for nations that need help economically, politically, or socially.

Then there are those who are anti-EU. They stress that forming a union will create economic and communication issues. With so many countries included, it is inevitable that strong nations will overpower the rest. Conversely, small countries might benefit from the powerful nations without offering anything in return. Also, with so many different cultures and languages, there could be a communication barrier that might prevent countries from coming to a consensus on issues.