National Self-hatred and the EC

Abstract

Those who support a political policy generally elaborate its virtues in terms of ideals, and denigrate the arguments of opponents in terms of hidden drives and motives. The issue of Britain’s relations with Europe is just such an issue. Those who support the current federal direction of the institutions of Brussels talk of bringing peace to a continent long subject to destructive wars, of making Europe once more a powerful player in the world scene. Turning their attention to those who reject this policy, they first identify objections with anti- Europeanism, and then attribute a narrow, chauvinistic addiction to ‘Little England’ as lying behind the reasons advanced by their opponents. I believe that this particular analysis is wrong, but I do agree that it is perfectly proper to delve into those areas of behaviour which an opponent would prefer to be examination-free. The remarks that follow are an attempt to delve beneath the surface idealism of enthusiasm for European Union in its present form.

This was first published by the Bruges Group in 1993.