Open borders? The eastern enlargement process

Content Enlargement processes until 1995 Eastern enlargement Public opinion and sentiment Outlook: future enlargements Special case Turkey (workshop)

Enlargement processes until : (W-) Germany, France, Italy, Benelux-states create the ECSC  Controlling production  Avoiding possibility of a new war 1959: Ireland, GB, Denmark express interest to be part of the network  France’s veto let GB fail twice 1969: agreement on conditions for entering EEC

First enlargement 1973 ‚Northern Enlargement‘ with GB, Ireland, Denmark  Economical and rational interests dominate

Second and third enlargement 1981/1986 ‚Southern Enlargement‘ with Spain, Portugal, Greece  Stabilisation of democracies and economies EU’s new face: political motives, heterogeneity, new distributions of monetary means

Fourth enlargement 1995 ‚Northern Enlargement‘: Austria, Sweden, Finland  Higher rights of co-determination (EU- lawmaking)

Two sides of EU-enlargements Intensification of economical and political communication and actions Stabilisation of economies and democracies Rise of socio- economical situations Loss of sovereignty (i.e. Norway, Greece, Finland) Heterogeneity and new financial distributions (‘harmonisation downwards’ )

Fifth enlargement /1991: collapse of the socialistic regime and entire change of systems in middle and eastern European states 1990’s: ‘Return to Europe’  Overcoming Soviet suppression and European seperation  Dissolution of self-isolating border, focussing joint history, renewing cultural and social values

Inclusion and exclusion Inclusion: promotion of European safety through adjusting social- economical conditions Exclusion: retaining domestic safety by excluding undesirable elements (cheap labour, terrorism, etc)

Strive for EU vs. eurosceptisism joint history, cultural and social values western prosperity level Reduction of poverty and unemployment Open borders Strong economical competition Rural areas: no beneficiaries Loss of sovereignty EU: centralistic, undemocratic

Public sentiment (Stronger) support: countries economically profiting from enlargement Reserved support: wealthier and big countries + countries with large numbers of minorities fear of job transfer into new member states and of loosing job EU-enlargement: reduction of social security

Outlook One third of the Europeans still think Europe consists of 15 members EU-pessimism amongst several countries is rising

Discussion How can we cope with the challenges of Turkey‘s possible joining? Can education have an impact on fostering permeability of borders that still exist in people‘s mind?