On sovereignty, Brexit and the future, Guy Verhofstadt being interviewed by Michał Matlak in NYRB:

"Your idea would be a big-bang federalization?

Don’t scare people with federalization. We need to put our resources together. We need to defend ourselves militarily, economically, in a world dominated by China, the US, and India. We are spending in the EU three times more than the Russians on defense. Do you think we are capable of defending ourselves?

No.

It’s high time to change that. Keeping our twenty-seven defense budgets separate is the biggest waste of money. It is a reason for our collective insecurity.

Are member states ready to renounce their sovereignty?

Well, their sovereignty doesn’t exist in a globalized world. Sovereignty means that you can decide your own path. European states on their own are not able to do that.

There’s only European sovereignty, if any. Only then can we decide on the European way of life.

If there’s Brexit, and there are negotiations on the future relationship, what kind of relationship would you favor?

An association agreement—and it should be as deep as possible. Membership is the best option, but if it’s not possible, let’s cooperate in as many domains as possible.

I see the EU as a coherent group of states all participating in the same policies. No menu à la carte: “I don’t want the euro, I don’t want Schengen, but I want the Single Market.” This should no longer be allowed"

Read the interview here.

'Their sovereignty doesn't exist in a globalized world." Very much so.

But unfortunately, fictions often determines the outcome of elections, not facts.