The eurozone did not arrive at the brink of collapse for lack of rules. But – perhaps befitting a political project pursued by legal and economic means – the rules that established the currency union often bent to political will.
What, then, of the idea of ‘core Europe’? Despite solemn invocations of common interests and joint challenges, cohesion, leadership and the political will to compromise are sorely lacking amongst member state governments.
As predicted, Sunday’s German federal election resulted in a resounding victory for Angela Merkel. But with growing German euroscepticism and hesitation about the country's future role in the Union, the results for Europe are not yet in.
Day after day, it is becoming clearer that the European Union has no intention of tackling its democratic deficit. It is time for the Union to realize it has failed Greece, European citizens and its own ideals - including democracy.
