Time For A Two-Part EU?

Today's complexity across Europe

Today is unusual. I usually write one blog article.  Today this is the fifth.  That is because three of them through the links below have led up to this one.

There has long been talk of a 'two-speed Europe', or what might better be described as two parts:

1. Countries like France, Germany and Ireland keen to adopt the same currency and forge greater political union.
2. Countries like the UK, Norway and Switzerland keen to be part of a Free Trade Area trading club, much like that envisaged as the Common Market.  But maintaining a degree of independence, in particular to have their own currency and control over interest rates.  

Norway is part of the border-free Schengen area, basically because of the long land border with Sweden.  But the UK and Switzerland also want some degree of control on immigration.

The desire for independence was part of why Leave won the UK's Brexit vote last year.  Heart perhaps ruling head.

The difficulty of Brexit, and perhaps the difficulty of stopping Brexit, suggests a third option might be the way forward.  To rationalise Europe more cleanly into the those two camps, with two common arrangements  If not immediately, certainly within 5-10 years.  That would simplify most of the complexity in the diagram above.

New countries, such as Turkey, could be part of the second trading club without joining the EU itself

But any thought of a new trans-European landscape must take into account the land border between Eire and Northern Ireland.

Both Leavers and Remainers could unite around such a proposition.  This is because there are euro-sceptics (as distinct from euro-phobics) in both camps.  the EU may also see it as a better way forward.

Would this be a better outcome for the UK than either Remaining under current terms or Brexit?  How practical to achieve?  At this stage it's just an idea, and maybe too idealistic. But worthy of some serious consideration? Your thoughts?