Trumpeter 4 Europe

The SNP recently won the majority of seats in the Scottish Parliament and its leader Alex Salmond has promised a referendum on independence. But Scottish independence raises serious EU questions.

There is no precedent for a country breaking up within the EU, although several have done so before joining.

Would an independent Scotland automatically remain in the EU or would it have to apply to join as a new member? In either case all EU member countries would have to agree.

Would a Spanish government do so and thus encourage its Basque and Catalan separatists?

Would an Italian government and thus encourage the separatist rhetoric of the Lombard League?

Would a Belgian government, if such an entity ever comes to exist again, want to encourage the split up of Belgium via the split up of the UK?

Would the ECB and a German government want the EU to have another small fringe country with a large
toxic banking sector?

Would Scotland have to sign a treaty promising to join the Eurozone, as recently joined countries had to do?

Would Scotland be so burdened with UK levels of public debt and inflation that it could not possibly meet the conditions for entering the Eurozone? The questions go on and on.

And when one begins to list the serious EU issues raised by Scottish independence one has to ask a further question.

Is Mr Alex Salmond really serious about his proclaimed aim of full independence for Scotland? Or is he just serious about being a successful Scottish politician? Is he a Scottish Count Julius Andrassy perhaps?

© Kevin Hannon. (Chairman, West Midlands European Movement) 21.5.2011