Unity and Freedom

Something very serious must be going on in crisis-ridden Europe for the president of the United States, Barack Obama, to involve himself in the two referendums that are taking place in the United Kingdom: one on whether the U.K. should stay in the EU, and the other on whether Scotland should separate from the United Kingdom, which is taking place on Sept. 18.

It’s not the first time Washington has worried about the United Kingdom’s EU exit. The relationship between the U.S. and the U.K. is one of a privileged and special nature, which is also important for the rest of Europe. In addition, it’s the basis of the trans-Atlantic relationship, which is crucial to the security of the continent and the world. Despite its difficulty in adapting itself to new events, such as the Ukraine crisis, NATO is still the most successful military alliance in history, not so much for the conflicts it has been involved in, but for those it has avoided.

A United Kingdom weakened by the split with Scotland and less committed to the European continent because of its own intention to get out the EU is of little interest to Washington in maintaining the special relationship. “We obviously have a deep interest in making sure that one of the closest allies we will ever have remains a strong, robust, united and effective partner,” stated Obama with calculated words, which the Labour member of parliament Douglas Alexander welcomed, “Building bridges, not putting up new barriers, is the challenge of our generation.”

In addition to that, there’s certainly a domino effect on the continent. To the United States, Europe without Britain is a more distant land and in many ways, more likely to be persuaded by the hostile views, which spread along its Slavonic boundaries and in the Middle East. Fragmented, Europe is weaker, less safe and of course, less interesting as a strategic ally.

But it’s not only a matter of interests. It has something to do with Obama’s doctrine too. The constitutional federalism of the U.S. is a conceptual sum of unity and freedom. E pluribus unum (out of many, one) is the founding motto appearing on its seal. Its application in Europe, after Germany was devastated after Nazism’s defeat, has led to one of the most remarkable and efficient political systems.

There is nothing further from American freedom than the disintegration of the U.K. and Europe. The soldiers who disembarked on Normandy beaches 70 years ago and whose sacrifice was commemorated yesterday couldn’t be fully aware of how important their sacrifice was going to be, but they fought precisely for our freedom: freedom to join together and become stronger, not to separate from each other and become irrelevant.