Women's Information Consultative Center

Is Ukraine really a chance to join the European Union?
Even in the year 2014-15.

What and to whom does the EU give?

Polish (or Czech) citizens (or citizens) of U. have an enterprise that specializes not in the production of a wide range of knitwear, but, say, a kind of ordinary sausage, cheese or strawberry (strawberry). The latter, in particular, is an important component of exports for Poland. However, as newcomers to the European Union, these citizens will learn one morning that their sausages, cheeses and strawberries cannot be consumed within the European Union, as they are tasty and high-quality (according to the newcomers), because they do not meet the requirements for countries -Members. And it is no problem that in the heart of the EU, in Belgium, until recently, dioxin chickens were happily running, and happy citizens of the united Europe drank the dubious Coca-Cola. No, of course, there may be some annoying cases in civilized countries, but this is an exception, and newcomers should be treated with the strictest laws. But because everything must be resolved in a democratic way, the citizen of U. has a wide choice - you can close the company (temporarily) to re-equip and improve in accordance with the requirements, close it forever and consume products exclusively from their more developed sisters and brothers. from the West, try to make a more active expansion to the East (good thing, in Ukraine, especially on its western borders, Polish goods have a strong position) or ... Well, is not enough previous opportunities?

Even without "food" sanctions, the European family, recently enlarged by a few new relatives, is living very unevenly. If in the Czech Republic the average income per person is about 600 German marks, in the same Germany it is ten times more. What of that? One of the consequences that is already worrying newcomers is that, according to the EU's "rules of procedure", property can be bought without restrictions in all member states. No, really, without restrictions. Czechs can go, at least today, to neighbors and buy there, say, ancient castles. They say they are very cheap there - for the average German income, but if you have the average Czech, you better work and dream of the future. And while you dream, the same Germans can buy real estate, even for leisure, even for production.

No, those who were the first to take a place in the family had temporary privileges for themselves. For example, Italy did not allow the sale of real estate to foreigners in some provinces, resorts, until it was convinced that not only they, but they can buy something somewhere someday ever.

There is a prospect in Ukraine.
Is joining the EU completely or completely?

I am not intimidated by the bogeyman in the face of the European Union, but I believe that we, Ukrainians, often fall into the so-called baroque thinking, according to L. Chizhevsky - that is, we perceive the imaginary as existing, and then suffer that something that should never have happened and never happened. So in choosing future vectors of geopolitics - trying to convince of the need for integration into Europe, politicians, political scientists, economists, journalists often portray EU accession as the only, desirable but forbidden fruit that can be a prize for Ukraine if it wins. over their own failures. Without a court, the guilty Ukraine must achieve with its eyes closed exactly what is required of it.

But what instead? Of course, the eastern vector of geopolitical development also cannot satisfy the country. Therefore, often our theorists and practitioners, showing the pure bipolarity of thinking (which, incidentally, is not such an authentic Ukrainian feature, but rather introduced), offer only two choices, forgetting that even in geography, except for four major countries, there are still quite a few areas that invest in a wide range of 360 degrees. And if we add the numerous political "sides of the world"?

Well, with practitioners (read - politicians) it is clear, they are not free people and can not always openly look around. But, unfortunately, theorists who are theoretically (sorry for the tautology) free people, do not offer much to choose from.

It is a pity, because today, on the eve of the third millennium, it is very popular to develop new perspectives, analyze the "old" and propose various schemes for the development and arrangement of the future world. It is not that all of them (perspectives and schemes) should be accepted (which is impossible and not necessary), but the analysis and evaluation of these ideas, especially when they affect Ukraine, is also lacking.

And many foreign authors do not even mention that Ukraine can become not just a star, but at least a Cinderella of the European Union.
For example, Samuel Huntington, known for his predictions about possible clashes of civilizations in the coming years, calls Ukraine a country that has cracked. Because, according to his approaches, "the line of civilizational damage between the West and the East runs through her (Ukraine's) heart and it has been going on for centuries." He justifies this by various religious affiliations, linguistic differences and even political 

by choosing the West and the East - in the last presidential election, passing through Kyiv, the "hole" divided the territory according to preferences: L. Kravchuk - L. Kuchma. By the way, how do you judge that they are together now? As a mistake by Huntington or a confirmation of the same baroque nature of our people, who perceived the existing equality as an imaginary difference?

Of course, Huntington is not categorical either. He suggests that Ukraine "will remain united, will remain divided, will remain independent in very close cooperation with Russia." Relations with the latter, in his opinion, as well as in the opinion of another researcher John Morrison, may be the same as Franco-German relations. And as the latter form the core of the European Union, so the former form the core of the Orthodox world.
Another well-known scientist, Professor Johann Galtung, "reassures" us that there are many such "civilizational damages." Only in Europe, which we are so eager for, there are three of them: Protestant-Catholic, Slavic-Orthodox and Turkish-Muslim (We thought that Europe was united, but it also turns out to be cracked?!.).

So, let's focus on the second "hole" - the Slavic-Orthodox.
According to Galtung, the countries of "rigid nationalism" to which he refers Germany have periods of "compression", "expectation" and "expansion". The latter is now in a state of "waiting", but the next stage is not far off. Of course, in modern conditions it is not a question of military expansion, but there is a cultural (Goethe-Institut), economic (investment) and so on. The membership of Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary in the European Union is access (Germany) to the Sudetenland, Pomerania and Silesia, and finally to East Prussia.

Well, we thought that joining the European Union is access to us, and it turns out that it is to us… However, look at the beginning of the article, there is already some evidence.
But that's not all. Let's get to Ukraine, and for now let's turn to Galtung.

“Imagine that it happened. What are the next steps? "Meyer-Mullerization" Kowalski in Silesia and Pomerania through appeals to them (Kowalski) to look for a kind of German grandmothers and great-grandmothers? Well-targeted investments in the former territories? Referendum? Does the border move in the middle of the EU and looks like an administrative division? And then? Polish history is a function of the strength of Germany and Russia: both are weak, Poland is expanding; Germany is weak and Russia is strong, Poland is moving west; both are strong, Poland is disappearing. And with a strong Germany and a weak Russia, Poland is moving east. ”

See the map, because in the east we…

A logical question arises: why is this article written? To finally scare the Ukrainian people, because wherever you throw - everywhere wedge? Forcing to change geopolitical orientations and look for less evil with the rest of the "core of Orthodoxy"? No. It just hurts me when my people and my country, that is, me, my family, my friends and relatives, are considered by some (and the baroque nature of the people, forced to consider himself) only the object of relations, not sub project. And if the subject, then the incompetent, who needs to be blindfolded, to be deceived, not to tell the whole truth. And by leading to these deceptions with muddy eyes, to say that "We have what we have" and take responsibility for both past mistakes and future steps.
The Ukrainian people can, can and want to think. And thought, according to Emanuel Levinas, is not just a vague recollection, but always a knowledge of something new. ”

… Considering everything, Ukraine may become a star sooner or later, but it should be a “conscious choice of a well-informed adult”.

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[1] Huntington S. P., The Clasch of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order, Touchstone Books, 1997, p. 165
[2] Ibid., Art. 168
[3] Morrison J., Pereyaslav and After: The Russian-Ukrainian Relationship, International Affairs, 69 (October 1993), p.677
[4] Galtung J., 21st Century Conflict Formations: Diagnosis, Prognosis, Therapy, Public Lecture at 4 August 1999, CEU, p. 15
[5] Ibid., Art. 18
[6] Ibid., Art. 18
[7] Levinas E., "Between Us", Spirit and Letter. Cooperative, 1999, p.20
[8] See human rights documents.