VisitKoreaOfficial :
Yanis overlooks a key point: without economic unity, political unity is almost impossible.
We can clearly see this in the case of the African Union. The AU prioritized political declarations and institutional symbolism before building real economic integration. As a result, economic unity among African states remains weak, fragmented, and largely ineffective. Today, most African countries do not experience tangible economic benefits from the African Union, and the organization increasingly feels like a political body without clear, enforceable economic goals.
By contrast, the European Union followed the opposite path. Economic integration came first, through shared markets, trade rules, and financial solidarity—before deeper political coordination. For Eastern European countries in particular, meaningful political development would have been nearly impossible without economic convergence and a shared destiny with the wealthier Western European states. This economic unity created stability, incentives, and institutional trust, which later allowed political integration to progress.
In short, economics is not secondary to politics in regional integration,it is the foundation. Without shared economic interests and material benefits, political unity remains fragile, symbolic, and unsustainable.
2026-01-13 19:57:31