IN THE latest attempts to 'deepen' the integration of the European Union (EU), by getting constitutional approval in member states (whether by referendum or by way of executive approval), the EU crashed to the ground after hitting a French hurdle earlier this year.
This French hurdle was that of French voters rejecting the latest attempts to deepen the EU in a referendum vote. While this result was not surprising, given the opinion polls on the issue going into the French vote, it must have been a big setback to the EU's future, given that the French were one of the six original founders of the current European bloc and seen as one of the most 'bullish' on previous integration.
CARICOM's own attempts to transform itself into the CSME shows similar problems. With the threat of Hurricane Dennis looming during the annual meeting in St. Lucia, one could have been forgiven for its low-key reporting, but three issues of significance occurred.
First by involving the opposition parties in the picture, in a more meaningful way, it has opened the way for continuity in the future. It does not matter whether the view put forward, by the Jamaican Opposition leader, is that each country should get referendum approval, as at least it establishes a good precedent with wider parliamentary dialogue. No future victorious party that takes office, can quibble that the previous party while in government, dragged the country into an agreement that was against its better interests. This does not absolve the CSME from future disputes on this issue as in countries with multi-parties in Parliament, there was still criticism of why minor parties were not invited. I suppose the moral of this story is that you will never please everyone, no matter how hard you try.
Second and, not surprising, was the Bahamas rejecting the CSME. If Jamaica has ever felt like the odd man out in CARICOM geographically (prior to Bahamas and Haiti joining the grouping) then the Bahamas must have felt like an alien. It was never a member of CARICOM's single market for geographical and economic reasons, and looking out for its own self-interest, cannot see how the CSME will benefit it.
The Bahamas wants to continue co-operating in various areas with CARICOM but wishes not to take the deeper plunge, a bit like the man who never wants to get married because he is getting all the benefits of a common-law marriage without any legal obligations to his partner. The Bahamas will eventually have to decide if it wishes to become an associate state of the U.S. or be an associate state of CSME but it cannot have it both ways. Old persons have a saying that 'what gone bad from morning, can't come good in the evening' and The Bahamas' peculiar position within CARICOM signified this saying.
It is not too late, as if the FTAA ever comes into being then I am sure that The Bahamas will join, but it needs to decide if it will be 'fish or fowl'.
Third, with the ramifications still to play, Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) has criticised Caribbean neighbours for signing the Venezuela Energy Co-operation Agreement (otherwise called Petrocaribe). Cheap oil vs. T&T benefits. Watch this space for further developments (as advertisers like to say) because there is yet more to come.
