In the Montevideo convention of statehood, there are four things that must be present for a state to be considered a state. They are (1) a permanent population, (2) a defined territory, (3) A government, and (4) the capacity to enter into relations with other nations. Like many theories, these four requirements only become controversial once they are applied to real life situations.
And in the spirit of controversial applications, I would argue that all EU countries are in danger of losing two of these requirements. On first inspection, it seems quite obvious that they fulfil all four. For instance, if you take a country like Britain, it has a permanent population, a clearly defined territory, a government, and it can and often does enter into relations with other states. Furthermore, it is also recognised by the international community as a state. However, when you think about the purpose of these four requirements, you start to wonder whether the EU states are starting to fall short of two of these.
Clearly Defined Boundary
The purpose of a clearly defined boundary is not to make the job of map makers easier. It is, as the forever eloquent Donald trump pointed out, to make it clear who is in, who is out and what laws apply. Now it is one thing to allow freedom of movement within 28 countries, especially when those countries are held together by a union. It is quite another for one of those countries to advocate a complete open borders policy and impose it on the other 27 countries. It is this desire that has caused the EU to view borders more as an ornamental feature, rather than a practical consideration. But not all European countries are towing the line. Most notably, Eastern European countries have made huge investments into the fence-building business, which has received strong condemnation from the EU. Britain has also made a strong stance against the open borders policy. And largely thanks to its natural borders, it does not need to buy into the fence building business with the vigour of a Viktor Orban. But what is clear, this goes against the desires of the EU. As the EU has shown with its deal with Turkey, it is completely incapable of doing what it takes to have a proper border. If you don’t have the willpower to enforce a border, the border gradually becomes meaningless.
Government
One of the Government’s most important functions is regulating the relationship between its citizens and how they interact with the countries’ public institutions. Quite often this is done in the form of enacting laws from Parliament. In a democratic government, these law makers are elected by the population and should be acting in the interest of their fellow countrymen. Regulations, which can be just as far reaching and onerous as laws, are also used to regulate behaviour. The European Vice President, Ms Viviane Reding, has estimated that most laws affecting any given EU state come from the EU, not the country. This is done in the form of regulations, laws, or directives. Simply put, most laws implemented are now based on EU laws, not the elected national government. Thus, the EU is gradually making state governments redundant.
European States may be a thing of the past
With porous borders and the erosion of the state government, it won’t be long when EU countries find it difficult to enter into relations with foreign countries without the explicit consent of the EU. They will continue to have a permanent population, but again, if the EU continues treating borders as something reserved for maps, the population will be a shifting one, in terms of population count and culture. The trajectory the EU is taking is one of more control and less statehood.