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The EU and 28 Heads of State and Government are waiting for an answer from the President of Wallonia on the EU-Canada ‘CETA’ trade agreement. If the region’s rejection of the agreement is confirmed, there will be no signature between Canada and the EU as was foreseen this Friday. Whether or not I agree with the position of the Walloon Parliament is not my point. I am more and more puzzled by the development of the David and Goliath syndrome that has been spreading across the continent in recent years – and Goliath is not always the EU.

After a number of referenda on EU membership, mandatory migrant quotas and the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement in the UK, Hungary and the Netherlands respectively, and now the Walloon Parliament’s vote on CETA, we are witnessing both the EU decision-making process and the EU project itself being undermined. These ‘Davids’ are ready to pit themselves against the whole continent to protect their power within their own borders.

But it is not always the case. Look at the situation of Scotland, where the First Minister is proposing a second independence referendum to leave the UK in the hopes of remaining in the EU. This position is mirrored by independence parties in Catalonia and Flanders; they want to separate from Spain and Belgium, but they want to be part of the EU. Their Goliath is the national entity from which they want to separate – not the Union.

While the Goliath is not always the same, the Davids are also rather different. They don’t belong to a particular geographical area: they go from the North West (UK) to the South East of Europe (Hungary), and from the North (Flanders) to the South (Spain). Their role as David is not necessarily rooted in the wealth of the region – Wallonia and Hungary are not necessarily the wealthiest region and country in the Union, while Catalonia and Flanders are among the wealthiest.

So while the different David and Goliath scenarios give the same headline-grabbing impression of rejection of the EU, it is worth going deeper to try to understand the root cause of such conflicts. One thing is clear: until we have achieved inclusive societies with transparent decision-making processes, this antagonism will continue to spread. Maybe by addressing these issues to find compromises, we will not need the stones.

Let’s engage!

Pierre Baussand, Director