No common vision for a reformed EU

The Ventotene meeting on 22 August between PM Renzi, Chancellor Merkel and President Hollande did not produce any surprises. They said afterwards that Brexit will not finish the EU and the medicine for the Union will still be more Europe (security, defence, investment and measures for youth education and jobs) with a little bit of less Europe (greater flexibility on EU deficit rules) added.

In Prague yesterday Merkel repeated that  the Bratislava summit of the 27 EU leaders (UK not invited) on 16 September should focus on job creation for the young and reinforcing security in Europe. Several hundred protesters rallied in the Czech capital against Merkel and her decision a year ago to open the country doors to asylum seekers.

To day Merkel will meet the Visegrad countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) in Poland. These member states want to slow down the integration speed, and migration policy will top the agenda. Later on Friday, Merkel will meet in Germany with a mostly Nordic group of EU countries, and she will, the same day, also host separate talks with leaders from Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovenia.

Merkels tour is part of her new attempt to be seen as a "listener" and to dispel the image of Berlin trying to impose politics on the rest of the block. 

President Hollande is also eager in his preparations for the Bratislva summit. At a meeting of socialist leaders in France yesterday he made an impassioned plea for Europe against populism

Europe is a strength that allows us to control our destiny better than we could do alone

he insisted. Like Merkel did Prague, Hollande stressed that security, defence, investment and youth issues needed a common approach (i e more Europe). 

On 9 September the French President will participate at a meeting of southern Europe member states in Athen, which is expected to advocate for growth and investment against the rigor preached by northern Europe.

So far after the Brexit referendum no new vision for the EU has emerged. "The big three" cling to the old one - more Europe. It's like they can not see the writing on the wall, e g the warnings in the 2016 survey from the German Bertelsmann Stiftung.