European unity has been gradually developing step-by-step ever since the fledgling beginnings of the economically based European Coal and Steel Community in 1957 with six founding countries. Today there are 15 countries in the European Union (EU) with several more applications for membership being considered.

The latest major meeting of the European Commission with the heads of government present was in late June at Santa Maria de Feira, Portugal, near the city of Porto (home of Port wine). There major divisions of opinion between Britain and the core countries of the EU continued to dominate the agenda.

According to The Daily Telegraph, "Germany and France delivered a blunt warning to [British Prime Minister] Tony Blair, during sharp exchanges at the EU summit which ended in Portugal yesterday, that he could not stop the development of a two-speed Europe that could leave Britain behind."

Although Mr. Blair and his economic chancellor Gordon Brown secured somewhat of a victory here at Feira in blocking the introduction of a Europe-wide savings tax, the founding members (Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) made it very clear that they were absolutely determined to press ahead with much closer integration.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder was the most adamant. He said: "But let it be clear that if we are stopped we will find a way outside the structure of the union." Very disturbing words! They call to mind a time prior to World War II.

Trend #1: the recent emergence of Berlin's assertiveness

Germany is now pressing harder than ever for an increased pace of integration. It wants a renewed drive to persuade the European Union's 15 members to cede more of their sovereignty to Europe. Berlin also desires a fundamental rewriting of the founding charter, the 1957 Treaty of Rome. In the German view, no member nation (including Britain) must be allowed to stand in the way of further progress.

The first sign of this renewed assertiveness came in May when the German foreign minister, Joschka Fischer, delivered a speech setting forth his vision of a federal Europe. In this speech, he called for a European federal superstate with its own elected president and a written constitution.

Mr. Fischer urged "the transition from a union of states to full parliamentarisation [British spelling] as a European federation" (The Daily Mail).

The excuse for the proposed rewriting of the Treaty of Rome is that taking on new members from Eastern Europe will require a fundamental revision of the rules.

Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has since given Mr. Fischer's vision his full and enthusiastic backing. And according to The Guardian, Berlin's intelligentsia has begun to feel "under their new chancellor that Germany has as good a right as any other state to take the head."

Trend #2: the French response to German leadership

No nation in Europe has been more enthusiastic for further integration than France. In past years, the principal architects of the European Economic Community (now the EU) have been French. Some have even called for a United States of Europe. Up to now, the French have been generally much more vocal than the Germans.

Yet, the latest pronouncements from Berlin have met with some official French resistance. In response, Jean-Pierre Chevenement, French interior minister, spoke of "a tendency for Germany to imagine a structure for Europe which corresponds to its own model. Fundamentally, it still dreams of a Germanic Holy Roman Empire. It is still not cured of the derailment which Nazism was in its history. Germany has a conception of the nation which is that of the Volk; that is to say an ethnic one" (The Daily Telegraph).

Strong words those, and the reaction was immediate from staunch French defenders of Germany. Giscard d'Estaing (a former president of France, 1974-1981) "declared that it was intolerable to accuse the German leadership of a Nazi inspiration and culture" ("Federalism Finds Its Time," Daniel Johnson, June 3, 2000).

But the interior minister was not the only French government official to respond to Berlin's recent assertiveness. According to The Daily Telegraph, "France's Foreign Minister, Hubert Vedrine, has put the brakes on German ambitions for political union, saying the European Union must concentrate on preparing to expand into central and southern Europe rather than seeking to dismantle nation states." Paradoxically, this is the very reason given for Germany's desire for a federation.

The French will preside over the EU for the next six months (July to December), and it will be interesting to see what approach they actually take to this leadership issue in practice.

Trend #3: the channel gap-the British conundrum

But the British position is far more sensitive than that of the French. Britain joined the community in January of 1973, some 16 years after France. Many Britons have been far from enthusiastic supporters from the very beginning.

Notwithstanding Eurotunnel, Britain is geographically separated from the Continent by the English Channel, figuratively highlighting the differences in basic mentality between the British and Europeans in general. They are summed up in the expression, "the channel gap," and they are profound!

Recently columnist Reginald Dale in The International Herald Tribune expressed the basic problem about as well as anyone. He wrote: "When the British finally committed themselves to European economic…integration by entering the then European Community in 1973, many thought they were becoming members of a club with static rules. Few seemed to realize that they were joining a dynamic process heading inexorably, if in fits and starts, toward closer integration. For profound reasons of history, culture, geography and national character, every new step along that road is painful for many Britons."

Most British citizens want free trade and cultural exchanges with the Continent, to holiday there, to enjoy their fine food and, in some cases, to learn their languages. Pragmatically, they can see the benefit of these and many other mutual activities.

Mr. Dale continued: "But the country's history cries out against being incorporated into what its opponents call a 'European superstate' run by foreigners in Brussels. Even many pro-Europeans [in Britain] have difficulty accepting the Euro, which is now being rejected in opinion polls by about 70 percent of the population."

A small minority of Eurosceptics would like to see Britain pull out of the European community and replace it with much closer links to the United States, including joining NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). This appears highly unlikely.

Trend #4: the Austrian dilemma

A recent report by The Sunday Telegraph from Vienna tells us, "Opponents of the right-wing Austrian politician Jörg Haider claim that his influence is behind new laws to control television and radio networks and to allow snooping on private citizens by the security services and the military."

This is the thinking, even though Mr. Haider has stepped down as the leader of his party. Some have indicated that "these policies have Haider's fingerprints all over them." This view articulates the fear that new right-wing extremism could begin in Austria, and then spread to Germany and other European nations.

But there is another very valid side to the Austrian story. The question has been asked, "Is the European Union overreacting by unduly threatening Austria's own freedoms?" Noted British journalist and author, William Rees-Mogg, was particularly concerned about EU sanctions.

He wrote in his regular Monday column in The Times: "Under the European treaties Austria could not be excluded from the official operation of the EU. There would have been no grounds for doing that. Yet, the other 14 EU governments have decided to boycott Austria in bilateral relations. Their action is perhaps illegal, as there is no provision in any of the treaties for this sort of penalty. The boycott was imposed without discussing the legalities: it was led by France and Germany, and followed perhaps weakly, by Britain."

Rees-Mogg summed up the situation thus: "In Britain our public opinion is not nearly as pro-European as Austria. We already fear that the EU is undermining our democracy. In the meantime the British government is party to an unlawful attempt to coerce the democratic choice of a small European nation. Of course, that has happened before, but not, I think, since 1938."

These sanctions came under discussion here in Santa Maria de Feira and may be dropped in exchange for the eventual jettisoning of Austria's banking secrecy laws. Yet, the question remains as to what future actions the EU might take against other member nations in somewhat similar circumstances.

Trend #5: the European defense issue

Germany and France have agreed to construct a joint satellite reconnaissance system, driving the EU further down the path towards a common defense policy. This announcement was made at the 75th Franco-German summit meeting in Mainz, Germany. (Despite occasional falling-outs, the number in itself indicates the depth of these mutual exchanges between the two nations.)

On top of this development is a recent call to arms in Germany, where two billion marks saved through shrinking the number of soldiers would be spent on new technologies for battle in the post-Cold War era. As The Wall Street Journal observed: "The proposed reform would mark the biggest overhaul of Germany's armed forces in half a century."

Defense is a very complex issue in Europe. U.S. involvement is more direct than in perhaps any other field. America is a charter member of NATO.

The Russians are particularly concerned about the U.S. missile defense plan, and are urging European nations to reject it. For instance, Times correspondent Roger Boyes, reporting from Berlin, wrote that Russian "President Putin warned Britain yesterday not to co-operate [British spelling] with the United States in setting up a new anti-missile defence [British spelling] system, stressing that the price could be very high."

Chancellor Schröder of Germany had already expressed his reservations concerning the proposed American ballistic missile defense system, aimed at protecting the United States from rogue nations. It is interesting to note that Putin had recently met with the German chancellor. Also that the Russian president spent several years in East Germany during his KGB days and apparently speaks German very well. It is said that his family speaks the language even better.

In addition, articles are appearing in the European press with titles like "America doesn't need all those nuclear warheads" and "America's nuclear madness."

Obviously, we have only hit a few of the high spots in this article. There are other very important trends to watch in Europe-the progress of the euro to name one that we have covered previously.

Along with the Middle East, the European scenario is a centerpiece of biblical prophecy. Both areas will play a heavy role in the fulfillment of many major prophecies. (If you do not already have them, please request our free brochures, You Can Understand Bible Prophecy and Are We Living in the Time of the End?) Jesus Christ told us to continually watch and pray (Luke 21:36). WNP