Prime Minister Mr. Guy Verhofstadt had the kind courtesy to send me his book "The United States. Manifesto for a New Europe" so that I can express my opinion about it. It was a pleasant surprise as it is consistent, clear, imaginative, with strong writing and free from the usual euro-taxation, which it strongly condemns.
It reminds us of the strong thinking that was the background of the initial European effort, the forces that limited it, the initial Community progress and its more or less unhindered expansion, the benefits it brought to old and new member states, the unobstructed institutional progress until the Maastricht Treaty and the series of warning shots that followed until the rejection of the European Constitution with the referendums in France and the Netherlands. [...]
It suggests that all those who have the means and the will to move forward should not be hindered in doing so. The "United States of Europe," concentric with the "Union of European States," should emerge as soon as possible, preferably based on the core of the existing Eurozone. This "New Europe" will bring "new powers, a new system for financing the Union, and the creation of new institutions."
It is premature to make a final judgment on Guy Verhofstadt's proposals without examining them thoroughly, assessing their feasibility, as well as the potential risks they entail. However, one thing is certain: they constitute a specific framework of political and institutional thinking that cannot be easily dismissed. Especially at a time when there is a real lack of available alternative proposals. (Dora Bakoyannis, Minister of Foreign Affairs)