Multinational political groupings are defined here as comprising more than one country but not having power over the world as a whole. The European Union (EU), for example, has created a structured relationship between its members for their mutual benefit – and other similar groupings are also beginning to emerge (5.3.5.1).
This definition excludes those alliances and coalitions that have a mainly military function, which are classified as forms of Self-Protection and form part of the next chapter (7.2.7).
The following sub-sections examine the EU as an example:
· European sovereignty was pooled to gain peace and collective security (6.6.5.1). There have also been economic and social benefits.
· The EU has a wider perspective than national politicians and is less likely to make hasty tactical decisions (6.6.5.2).
· EU politicians are either directly elected by the people or are appointed by elected governments (6.6.5.3). National leaders are involved in decision making.
· Nationalist politicians in Britain fed anti-EU sentiment, blaming Brussels by distorting reality and generating political hostility towards the concept of pooled sovereignty (6.6.5.4).
· The cost of running the EU is an issue (6.6.5.5), although the savings are almost certainly worth it. Wealthier members pay more, but they also benefit more from economic stability.
· Directly elected members of the European Parliament, in political groupings, form policies that are signed off by national political leaders (6.6.5.6) – providing democratic accountability.
· It has been suggested that the EU should be a ‘multi-speed’ organisation (6.6.5.7), with members of the Eurozone moving towards greater political integration and contributing relatively more to its budget to pay for that.
· In the 2016 referendum, British voters elected to leave the EU: a 'Brexit' (6.6.5.8). This choice was largely driven by domestic concerns and nationalism.
(This is an archive of a page intended to form part of Edition 4 of the Patterns of Power series of books. The latest versions are at book contents).