Some supporters of the EU might struggle with the concept, but Europe is about much more than just what unfolds in Brussels. The EU’s 27 states may be a large part of Europe, but the two are not coterminous. Nor, more importantly, do they all have the same interests.
The newly created European Political Community (EPC) had its first meeting in Prague over the last couple of days. Including those states on the fringes of Europe, as the EPC does, the number in attendance was 44 (with Belarus and Russia excluded). Beyond the EU 27 there is Turkey, the UK, Ukraine, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, six Western Balkans nations, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The Truss government and any other should ensure that it is not sucked into the EU’s orbit willy nilly via this new organisation
The EPC or, to avoid confusion with the EU, the ‘European nations club’, is the brainchild of Emmanuel Macron – although his motives remain unclear.
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