EU leaders took steps to advance a “two-speed Europe” in a bid to deepen integration, part of efforts to strengthen the bloc in the face of geopolitical instability.
The EU has always sought to enact reforms across all its member states, compromising speed of action for breadth of commitment. But countries including France, Germany, and Italy yesterday backed proposals that would allow select nations to sign up for particular initiatives.
The push is part of efforts to improve competitiveness and strengthen the EU’s internal market. “This kind of two-tier Europe is not a silver bullet by any means,” a Carnegie expert wrote, “but… it is the best chance Europeans have of retaining some control over their destiny.”