EU report: The European Union should continue expanding into the Western Balkans
despite a deep and painful financial crisis already plaguing the bloc, a report said Wednesday.
Enlargement “helps avoid the potentially far higher costs of dealing with the consequences of instability,” the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, said in its annual report on countries seeking to join the bloc, which has 27 members. “Strengthening stability and democracy in southeast Europe is also an investment in deep and sustainable democracy in the E.U.’s wider neighborhood,” the commission said.
At the same time, countries seeking to join the Union have been grappling with the challenges posed by meeting membership criteria in areas like respect for human rights and reducing corruption.
Speaking to the European Parliament on Wednesday, the E.U. commissioner for enlargement, Stefan Fule, sought to assure legislators that any new members, like Croatia, which is set to join the EU next year, would abide by tougher regulations adopted since the crisis erupted in Greece three years ago.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/11/world/europe/eu-remains-committed-to-allowing-new-entrants.html?_r=1
The European mentality is that strengthening "stability and democracy" in neighboring countries is important in the long term even if it is not beneficial for current members in the short run. I doubt that republicans, who disparage 'Europe' on a regular basis, would accept the premise that the health and welfare of your neighbors is important, not just for their sake but for your own.
