This week the European Union won the Nobel Peace Prize. The prize committee startled the world with this selection, breaking with tradition by honoring an institution rather than an individual. Reactions, understandably, have been mixed, both in Europe and around the world. European bureaucrats are overjoyed that other European bureaucrats have given them this stamp of approval. Many people look at this self-congratulatory exercise with a bit more cynicism. I can only imagine how “Condescending Wonka” would react.
Numerous European countries are on the verge of bankruptcy. This week Athenians rioted in the streets. German public opinion continues to sour on the unified currency.
The awarding of the Peace Prize to this fragmenting union makes the bureaucrats seem like they’re grasping at straws. Maybe the prize will be a self-fulfilling prophecy. By awarding the prize maybe the Union won’t disintegrate. But can you really buy peace like that?
Wishing it was so, doesn’t make it so. Just ask Neville Chamberlain. Peace can’t be bought with a piece of paper. Peace comes through tackling the hard problems, something the EU has been reluctant to do.
Do you think the European Union can be saved? Should it be?
Reflection and Choice 
3 responses to “Peace in our Time: The EU Wins the Prize”
Considering the many other alternatives and the ridiculous shape Europe currently finds itself, I’m still hoping for the announcement that this was all a big joke.
After hearing that the EU got the Peace Prize, I half expected the Nobel committee to award the Economics Prize to the Greek government. 😉
That is what I call jokes 🙂
Generally speaking, Europe has lived without the EU and it was fine. So it will keep living, in economic sense probably even better: I consider the idea with the unified currency rather bad. THe one with no borders, on the contrary, is quite good. So, if there should be no EU with the government and whatever else, they should leave the borders as they are now at least.
On the other hand, I don’t think it will break down, Too much noise. There are enough smart heads, I hope, to find a way out.
What, however, I find really creepy is that EU has got a Peace Prize. I mean, the other time it was Barack Obama and t was already a big question what for, he is no Martin Luther King Jr. after all. But now it looks like Obama is equal to the whole EU, to all those countries, organisations and millions of people living there. Is it that in order to be worth of a Prize (and be equally “cool” as Obama) the whole EU should be taken? That is creepy.