Launched officially today, and I’ve yet to work out what it’s all for (bar an ego trip for Sarkozy and a jolly for various heads of state, that is).
Mark Mardell has the handiest overview I’ve found so far – and also doesn’t seem to know quite what to make of it. Wikipedia is, as ever, useful if taken with a pinch of salt – largely thanks to the overview of the controversies and squabbles that have marred its birth.
One thing that is fun, however, is to compare the map of this new international club with that of the Roman Empire at its height…
So, we’ve got Germany, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Poland, Denmark, the Canary Islands, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, a bit more north African desert and Scotland; they’ve got northern Cyprus, Switzerland, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, bits of Moldova, bits of Ukraine, bits of Dagestan and Chechnya, and Iraq.
I think I can safely say that we win.
A cute little comparison you have made! :-D
Nosemonkey,
If history is going to be your guiding light, you might want to read Ernle Bradford: Mediterranean – Portrait of a sea (Penguin, Classic History).
Might have a look out for that the next time I’m in the library. Meanwhile I’ll have to make do with Braudel‘s various books on the Med. Can’t go wrong with a bit of Annales School history, after all…
Pingback: Looking to the future | Nosemonkey’s EUtopia
Ever heard of the Euro Arab Dialogue? A series of agreements initiated in 1973 (after the Arab oil embargo on the West) between the then member nations of the E.E.C. and Arab states. Not advertised by its proponents and largely unknown to the general public. This I believe was the precursor to the Euro Mediterranean Partnership and as you suggest, a reflection of the interminable EU ambition.
If you want further details, please email me.