May 1st, European Union has been extended: 10 more countries, almost 80 million people more have become part of Europe´s most successful peace project.
In 1957, six countries signed a treaty concerning the production and trade of coal and steel: France, Germany (only the West), Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg. Since France and Germany have been part of it, this sometimes underestimated project was leading Europe into a peaceful future, because these two enemies have the same goals for the very first time. Although it was the economy purely joining six European countries, this was the beginning of the European Community in social and political matters, too.
Over years the European Community (“European Union” now) has been extended: the new members were Great Britain, Ireland, Denmark, Greece, Spain and Portugal. In 1995, three new countries joined: Sweden, Finland and Austria, though these countries have been obliged to military neutrality.

The next ones are now:

1. Two islands in the Mediterranean Sea: 
   Cyprus (close to the Turkish shore) and Malta (south of Sicily).

2. Four countries, which had been under Soviet influence for almost half a century: 
   the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary

3. One country, being part of communist Yugoslavia once: 
   Slovenia

4. Three countries, which had even been part of the Soviet Union itself: 
   Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. 

Is this the birth of a new nation? One single country from the Atlantic into former Russian territory? The next super-power country in the world?
You can´t compare the European Union to the United States of America, because there are too many different languages and local dialects, too many social differences, too many national prides and prejudices, too many traditional patterns between the European peoples. An Italian would like to be considered an Italian first, if you asked him, not a European. Hungarians and Spaniards want to keep their national emotions, also. And an Irish has not much in common with a Greek.
We have to get rid of all those old attitudes towards the neighbour countries, formed during so many wars in the course of the last 1000 years. In fact, some of these countries have a common currency, the EURO now - a small step for an individual, but a giant leap for economy and an idea of what international togetherness is about. Riding into Germany or France without a passport is a great development for us, too.
It´s the security, the overwhelming feeling of freedom and peace in a common Europe, now. Nobody can imagine that there could be war between two member countries of the European Union again, instead of an everlasting pax Europaea. The building of this Union has been the triumph over national and martial ideas in Europe.

Thus: welcome, neighbours!

Walter Dujmovits, jr.