EU International presence: over-represented but underwhelming
European Union countries hold:
· two of the four UN Security Council permanent seats
· four out of seven G7 seats
· four plus the EU in the G20
· 31.7% of IMF voting
· In practice the right to appoint the IMF president
However, the collective weight and influence of the EU and its Member States does not reflect this representation. The EU/Member States seldom speak with a single voice.
As the inevitable reform of global governance takes place, Europe will lose its over-representation. This is our last opportunity to help organize the ‘top table’. How do we do this so as to reduce our representation but increase our influence? Simple. Replace the Member State seats on the UNSC, G7, G8 and G20, and IMF by a single EU seat, speaking with a single voice.
Will this happen? No, thanks to the egotism of Member State leaders.
Rated 6th most influential EU blog by Waggener Edstrom. European of British nationality, for nearly 30 years Bruxellois. Deep believer in the principle of 'mutuality' and Monnet's axiom "Thought cannot be divorced from action", equivalent to Wang Yangming's "Zhixingheyi". 