Towards a new Europe
From Denis MacShane MP Sir: I read with interest Peter Jones’s argument that as ‘tribalism finished Rome it will finish Brussels too’ (Ancient & modern, 1 January). As an admirer of Mr Jones, and as someone who regrets the passage of Latin and ancient history from the Atlantic’s education norms, I found his point odd. Is he really arguing that the dark ages of tribalism that followed Roman classicism are inevitable for our time? This pessimistic determinism may be fashionable in anti-European salons, but I prefer, and believe it is worth arguing for, a Europe of nation states agreeing common rules to advance mutual interests. A tribalist alternative is the old Europe which our ancestors fought and died in. And given that Britain is now seen as a leading European player — vide the Paris criticisms of the new constitution anglo-saxonne — perhaps a little more self-confidence in our abilities is needed. Europa delenda est is not a worthy policy for a country like Britain.
Denis MacShane
Minister for Europe, London SW1
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