"Europe of many speeds" - Article by the Mayor of Deryneia Mr. Andros Karagiannis

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One of the most serious problems facing the European Union, following the shock of Brexit, is immigration. Some former Eastern bloc countries have already expressed their intention to close their borders, deeming refugees unwanted, while others are building walls to keep them away or end up hosting them in third-world special reception areas, in well-known hot spots.

On the other hand, Germany's stance on immigration does not seem to have satisfied German citizens, as the results of recent national elections have shown, undermining the political future of the formerly powerful chancellor and leaving the country so far almost ungovernable. It seems that the immigration issue can overthrow governments but also bring far-right parties to power. It can even hit institutions like the European Union irreparably.

The European Union now counts - after Brexit - one member less and its future remains uncertain, as the other members are part of various subgroups dealing with common problems. In 2009 the European Council adopted the European Baltic Sea Strategy involving the Member States of the European Union, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Poland and the Baltic coast of Germany. Countries outside the European Union, such as Norway, Russia, Iceland and Belarus, are also participating in the group's initiatives. The goal of the Baltic Sea countries is the ecological protection of the maritime areas, the prevention of pollution but also the promotion of cooperation through transport and trade.

Of course, many of the countries of the former Eastern coalition and members of the above initiative are known for their anti-Russian positions and their intention to overthrow what is reminiscent of the former Soviet Union. The Baltic states will be affected by Brexit, as they export more to the UK than they import, while Estonia imports more than it exports. In addition to the products, they also export a number of economic migrants along with Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

Despite their differences, the Baltic States remain loyal to the European Union line, meaningfully declaring themselves to be its most integrated countries. The paradox is that after Trump's election, negative sentiment against him increased in Germany, but not in the Baltic States and Poland. Poland and the conservative government of PiS leader Jaroslaw Kandzinski and Prime Minister Beata Sindlo want to secure their Polish-Christian identity, even seeking German reparations for their losses during World War II.

Clearly, Poland is ideologically closer today to the British Conservatives and to Trump. Unlike Germany and the Baltic States, which want a stronger European Union, Poland is comfortable with a weakened European Union and is interested in pursuing a Baltic security and protection strategy. Through the Visegrad Group, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, along with the Baltic States, work closely together within NATO, mainly on security issues against Russia. Visegrad's group is also known for its refusal to accept refugees, while Viktor Orphan's Hungary and Poland are accused of having ideological similarities in the way they govern.

In fact, Poland, together with Croatia, pioneered in 2016 the creation of the "Three Seas Initiative", which consists of 12 members of the European Union from the Baltic, the Adriatic to the Black Sea.

All these initiatives through separate subgroups within the European Union that are likely to lead to its weakening, prove that Europe is moving at different speeds. The existence of separate groups leads the European Union to tacitly accept the creation of a Dead Zone, consisting of authoritarian and semi-authoritarian Member States.

Andros G. Karagiannis 
Mayor of Deryneia