Just posted: Europe’s 50th Anniversary Clown Show
JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/Getty Images While transatlantic publics snoozed, the European Union has been planning massive and often strange festivities to make the 50th anniversary of The Treaty of Rome, essentially the founding document of today’s vastly expanded EU. And after weeks of hilarious and often secretive deliberations, today the EU finally released the text of the ...
JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/Getty Images
While transatlantic publics snoozed, the European Union has been planning massive and often strange festivities to make the 50th anniversary of The Treaty of Rome, essentially the founding document of today's vastly expanded EU. And after weeks of hilarious and often secretive deliberations, today the EU finally released the text of the Berlin Declaration noting the milestone:
Europe was for centuries an Idea, a hope for freedom and understanding. This hope has been fulfilled. European unity has enabled us to live in peace and prosperity. It has created a community and overcome differences. Every member has helped to unite Europe and to strengthen democracy, the rule of law. We have to thank the love of freedom of the people of central and eastern Europe that Europe’s unnatural divisions are today finally overcome. With European unity, we have learned the lessons from our bloody conflicts and painful history. We live today together in a way that was never previously possible. We citizens of the European Union are united in our good fortune.
While transatlantic publics snoozed, the European Union has been planning massive and often strange festivities to make the 50th anniversary of The Treaty of Rome, essentially the founding document of today’s vastly expanded EU. And after weeks of hilarious and often secretive deliberations, today the EU finally released the text of the Berlin Declaration noting the milestone:
Europe was for centuries an Idea, a hope for freedom and understanding. This hope has been fulfilled. European unity has enabled us to live in peace and prosperity. It has created a community and overcome differences. Every member has helped to unite Europe and to strengthen democracy, the rule of law. We have to thank the love of freedom of the people of central and eastern Europe that Europe’s unnatural divisions are today finally overcome. With European unity, we have learned the lessons from our bloody conflicts and painful history. We live today together in a way that was never previously possible. We citizens of the European Union are united in our good fortune.
But the European Union’s absurd birthday bash says more about the EU at 50 than 1,000 bland pronouncements from the bureaucrats and politicians who wish to rule Europe ever could, argues Alan Sked of the London School of Economics in a special Saturday afternoon web exclusive for ForeignPolicy.com. Enjoy.
More from Foreign Policy


Is Cold War Inevitable?
A new biography of George Kennan, the father of containment, raises questions about whether the old Cold War—and the emerging one with China—could have been avoided.


So You Want to Buy an Ambassadorship
The United States is the only Western government that routinely rewards mega-donors with top diplomatic posts.


Can China Pull Off Its Charm Offensive?
Why Beijing’s foreign-policy reset will—or won’t—work out.


Turkey’s Problem Isn’t Sweden. It’s the United States.
Erdogan has focused on Stockholm’s stance toward Kurdish exile groups, but Ankara’s real demand is the end of U.S. support for Kurds in Syria.