A European Superstate?

Is this the accidental creation of a European Superstate? It certainly seems like it.

Basically the Eurozone appears to have two choices; fall apart or be bound closer together. Merkel has increasingly mentioned the need for “more Europe, not less” she says that more and more responsibility must be handed over to centralised European control. Although many Europeans believed that the creation of the Euro in 2000 was the beginning of a federal Europe, most people didn’t think it would start being seriously talked about in 2012. The Euro crisis has changed everything.

Although I highly doubt that a United States of Europe is on the horizon, with each state losing ‘country’ status, I do believe that the Euro crisis will mean more political, fiscal and economic union in Europe. Even if the crisis does get resolved by creating an early USE, I would imagine countries would still have control over international relations the armed forces and other similar functions.

If the Eurozone were to form a USE, a new map of Europe would look like below (the USE in blue with the EU in green). It would certainly transform the world as a number of individual Eurozone members are already very powerful in their own right (most notably France and Germany).

The Eurozone as a superstate in blue
The rest of the EU in green

The below map is what the future of the Europe could look like, this map includes countries in the EU that have signed up to join the Euro, although this vision of Europe (if it ever does come to be) is a long way away. (Note: Croatia is in light blue as it will join the EU in 2013 and has agreed to enter the Euro at some stage)

Blue - all current and future Euro members as a superstate
Green - The remaining members that are unlikely to join the Euro

There are, of course, many issues and obstacles surrounding the creation of the USE. The biggest would be the electorate in member states, governments would have to go to the people in a referendum. Most people would be furious if they didn’t get a say over whether or not to end their country’s existence, I would be furious even though I would vote yes! Ireland would be a major stumbling block as well as many other nations with strong Euro-scepticism. There is also the problem of much of Eastern Europe, most of these countries have only been independent for about 20 years and aren't going to give over their hard won independence easily.

Despite the major stumbling blocks we are living in a momentous period, a federal Europe is being seriously discussed by some of the top politicians in Europe. This is a make or break time for European federalists and Euro-sceptics alike.