European nations are reasserting themselves

All but the most hardened Remainer will admit that the EU’s vaccine rollout has been poor. Up against the UK’s handling of the same feat — and in the face of the European Union’s aggressive response to Britain’s success — many are declaring Brexit a triumph. But the EU’s vaccine debacle demonstrates something more profound and worthy of deeper examination — the continuing importance of the nation state.

As Europe’s vaccine rollout has demonstrated, nation state can often do things faster and better in a crisis than a multi-national entity like the EU Commission. Some will say this proves the nation state should be the highest form of governance, and that multi-national entities are doomed to fail. Except, I think the European Union will actually learn from this crisis, which is where things get interesting.

There is a chance that the EU could retreat from federalism. European leaders may start to realise that the movement to centralise as much as possible — pulling power away from the national capitals and into Brussels and Strasbourg — is not always the answer.