The United States of Europe: The reality behind the narratives

What is the United States of Europe (USE)?A real political project? A utopia that European elites dream about? A slogan used by nationalist political forces to scare citizens away from European integration?

This study aims to show that the idea of the USE is not a simple fantasy, but a political reality. In fact, the USE has been under construction for a long time, even if it that process was not always easy to see.

The advocates of the project decided to talk about it moreor less openly, depending on the political context. They paved the road to a USE not only with explicit declarations, but also with rowbacks, euphemisms and nebulous formulations.

In the meantime, the EU has undergone a de facto transformation, in which its supranational characteristics have been strengthened.

The latest EU reform proposals on the table show that the idea of a USE has recently returned to the European political scene with renewed vigour.

Bence Akos Gat is head of EU affairs for MCC Brussels