Emerging: A Harder-Core EU With a Stronger President

Plans are underway to “turn Europe into a new superpower,” the Telegraph reported Monday. “[European Union] leaders strive to quell their quarrels and grow into a geopolitical heavyweight.”

For decades, the Trumpet and its predecessor, the Plain Truth, have predicted, based on prophecies in Daniel 2 and Revelation 17, that the EU must be pared down to a smaller union with one super-president to become a superpower.

That’s exactly what is being discussed now and, in some ways, already being implemented.

This week, the core of a more powerful union began to emerge.

Pared Down

“We are blocked, we are speechless, we are voiceless, we have no say on the global stage, and that has to be stopped,” Manfred Weber, leader of the European People’s Party, said on Wednesday.

This has long been the story of the European Union—a union of 450 million people and 27 nations whose leaders are barely noticed on the global stage.

But this is now changing. The Telegraph reported:

There’s a new appetite to move forward on important matters in smaller groups of member states if necessary.

Unanimous decisions are out of fashion, with more and more being taken by a vote, with a majority vote, weighted by population.

A recent example was the EU’s massive trade deal with Latin America’s mercosur countries. The deal originally required unanimous consent, but it was divided into two so the trade aspects could be passed by only a majority.

Germany is Europe’s most populous country, so it is the driving force in majority votes.

Yet foreign and security policy issues still require unanimous consent. To change this requires reforming EU treaties, which would take unanimous consent from all current members—an impossibility.

Countries willing to advance “should go forward with a special sovereignty treaty,” Weber said.

The suggestion is similar to that of EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, who advocated for a European security council “composed of key permanent members, along with several rotational members. In total, around 10 to 12 members, with the task to discuss the most important issues in defense.” He also called for the creation of a “powerful, standing ‘European military force’ of 100,000 troops” to replace United States troops on the Continent.

Not all 27 nations want to create a joint European military, but what if those who do decide to do it on their own?

In some ways, it is already happening.

On Wednesday, Europe’s major economies—Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland and the Netherlands—agreed to advance Europe’s ambitious dreams.

The finance ministers met for the first time in the so-called E6 format through video conference; additional meetings will follow and are open for those willing and able to join.

As Defense News wrote, the six countries aim to “bypass the bloc’s traditional consensus-based decision-making to accelerate defense cooperation and industrial competitiveness amid mounting geopolitical pressures.”

German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil outlined four priorities:

• Pushing ahead with the capital markets union so European companies have better financing conditions
• Strengthening the international role of the euro, which requires the digital euro and European payment systems
• Closely coordinating investments in defense, focusing on joint weapons systems and joint procurement
• Securing raw materials through coordinated purchasing, emergency reserves and global trade partnerships

These areas are key for a European superpower to rise. This new initiative may mark the beginning of a two-speed Europe, where a core group of nations acts decisively and leaves others behind.

For example, only 21 of the 27 EU nations have adopted the euro. Now an even smaller number may adopt the digital euro and unite more closely. This could be the beginning of Europe’s radical transformation, as foretold by the late Herbert W. Armstrong. In the January 1962 Plain Truth, he wrote:

No one can tell, now, specifically just how it will develop, but the Common Market will develop into the coming United States of Europe. It will be a loosely knit empire, resurrected from the ashes of the old Roman Empire and the medieval Holy Roman Empire: It will comprise 10 nations or groupings of nations. For example, the Benelux nations—Belgium, the Netherlands (Holland) and Luxembourg—may go in, either as one group known as Benelux or as three nations. At this stage we cannot tell which 10 it will be, except it appears certain both Germany and Italy will be in, and probably France and Spain. Some of the central Europe satellites now under Russia’s clutch might be in.

All of the E6 nations have been mentioned in Mr. Armstrong’s writings. In later years, he specifically mentioned Poland as one “of the central Europe satellites now under Russia’s clutch” that would break free and join the European project.

Other nations are certain to follow to complete a 10-nation union as prophesied in Daniel 2 and Revelation 17.

But what is a superpower without a super-president?

An ‘All-powerful President’

Who in Europe is capable of negotiating with the leaders of the U.S., Russia and China? Many don’t even know who the head of the EU is, or if that individual has any power.

Current EU leadership is divided, Politico explained on January 28:

The European Commission president (currently Ursula von der Leyen) leads the bloc’s executive arm, which has power over trade, agriculture, the single market and other internal policy areas—although foreign affairs is handled by the EU’s top diplomat (Kaja Kallas) and the European Council president (António Costa), with both reporting directly to EU countries.

Weber advocates merging the roles of president of the European Commission and president of the European Council so Europe can speak with one voice. This would give Europe an “all-powerful president,” Politico wrote.

This could drastically increase Europe’s say in world affairs. But if that leader has to represent the divided interest of 27 nations, he will still be ineffective.

Paring down the union and the need for one super-president go hand-in-hand—and the urgency is greater than ever.

On January 17, President Donald Trump threatened European nations with tariffs for opposing his ambitions for Greenland. On the same day, the EU signed the largest trade agreement in history with mercosur.

To many, it was seen as the EU’s chance to build its own trade empire independent of the U.S. But even with the prospect of a trade war with the U.S., a majority of EU parliamentarians voted to delay the ratification of the deal by sending it to the European Court of Justice for review. As Spiegel wrote:

The powerful signal that von der Leyen wanted to send from Europe to the world, with which she wanted to defy the attacks from Washington, is now at best a flicker.

The vote in the European Parliament is a defeat for the EU, but also a setback for von der Leyen. The Christian Democrat’s power is waning; she can no longer rely on stable majorities in the European Parliament.

This setback showed Europe’s need for a smaller, more united union and a strong leader at its head. The urgency in getting the mercosur deal implemented may prove to be a key factor in bringing these changes about. As Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote in 2019:

If this massive trade deal is finalized this year, then I believe we will see the current 28-nation European Union pared down to the prophesied 10-nation superpower this year as well. Before Europe can be closely tied to Latin America, something will have to change. The current politically and religiously disunified EU will have to become a politically, militarily and religiously unified Holy Roman Empire. Latin America is already quite united in its religion; the Holy Roman Empire will have to become united in its religion as well. And the only way to remove the division is by reducing that union to 10 nations. It is prophesied to happen (Revelation 17).

A strongman is coming on the scene to aid in the development of that union (Daniel 8:23). Only he can shape the Holy Roman Empire and take control. …

This European power is destined to become the number one superpower in the world!

Europe is at work creating a superpower. But even if its 10 most powerful nations unite, they will need a single leader to be taken seriously on the world scene. Based on prophecy, we can know who will likely be part of this 10-nation superstate and even who might be the overarching ruler.