EU must become a 'genuine federation' to avoid deindustrialisation and decline

Single market, federalisation, and veto power

• Many argue the EU needs a genuinely single market and less unanimity, as national vetoes let one country “sabotage” all others while still blaming a “weak Europe.”
• Others doubt deeper federation is politically possible: people still self‑identify mainly as national (or even regional) rather than European, though counterpoints cite historical unifications like Germany.
• Some see centralisation as historically tied to force and as reducing citizens’ real choices; they argue smaller, decentralised polities give people more meaningful political exit options.

Language and cultural integration

• One view: a true single market is hard without a single working language; this is seen as a core US advantage in media and software.
• Counter‑view: language is mostly solved in practice (English in business, translation tech, Swiss multilingualism); regulations and fragmented legal systems are the real barriers.
• English is de facto the EU lingua franca, but official EU practice still supports all member languages, and some see a mandated single language as politically impossible.

Regulation, climate policy, and deindustrialisation

• Critics blame EU over‑regulation and net‑zero policies (Green Deal, car emissions rules, carbon border tax) for high energy prices, job losses in manufacturing, and offshoring to China/others.
• Supporters respond that decarbonisation is now also a security strategy (cutting dependence on “tyrants”), that old fossil‑based jobs would vanish anyway, and that new industries will emerge.
• There is sharp disagreement over whether EU climate policy is long‑term prudence or “industrial suicide” that others won’t emulate.

Energy, renewables, and industrial viability

• A strong faction claims deindustrialisation is mainly about expensive energy and loss of cheap pipeline gas; without that, Europe risks becoming a “tourist Disneyland.”
• Others argue solar and wind are already cheaper on average and can power heavy industry (aluminium, fertiliser, AI) with flexible loads and storage, though intermittency and market design are unresolved.
• Disputes continue over coal, nuclear phase‑outs, LNG dependence (Russia vs US), and whether renewables benefits reach end users.

Finance, defence, and structural issues

• Entrepreneurs call for EU‑wide banking consolidation and a common credit infrastructure to give startups US‑style access to capital; opponents fear US‑style credit‑score surveillance and over‑centralised banks.
• Defence is cited as a prime area where fragmented national procurement wastes money and yields incompatible systems; others see “central authority” in defence as a politically motivated push for integration, not a necessity.
• Poland is repeatedly mentioned as an example of growth through lower bureaucracy, can‑do culture, and targeted use of EU funds, contrasted with Western “vetocracy” and heavy welfare states.