The Breton Party would like to welcome the new member countries of the European Union and is delighted to see the adhesion of several "small countries" to the Union which so far has been dominated by large states.
These “small countries” are closer to their citizens and less likely to focus solely on internal matters as they are forced to look to the outside world in order to develop infrastructures, seek opportunities and invest in research. They thus bring an added richness to the Union and all its citizens.
The recent history of Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia and Slovenia offers hope for the stateless nations of Western Europe. Soon after gaining their independence from empires (the Baltic States) or artificial Nation States (Slovakia and Slovenia), they chose the openness of the Union. Like Flanders, Scotland and Catalonia, they are offering new possibilities for moving away from the stalemate between a Europe of inward-looking nations and a federal Union which the large states continue to refuse.
The Breton Party is confident that the new members, particularly the smaller ones, will be able to forge contacts between authorities and citizens, limit cultural and linguistic standardisation in Europe and give the continent a new economic impetus. Numerous states including Luxembourg, Ireland and Denmark, whose populations are equivalent to or smaller than that of Brittany, have prepared the ground for these new countries.
The Breton Party would like the development of links with these countries by means of twinnings, institutional cooperation, education and tourism to become a priority for Brittany.
Finally , the enlargement of the European Union to new members underlines the necessity for Brittany to obtain strong autonomous institutions to ensure that its voice is heard at European level .
For the Breton Party,
The President ,
Lionel Divard
Tel : +33 (0)2 40 49 70 34