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Almost zero Quote by Vaclav Klaus

“This is crossing the Rubicon, after which there will be no more sovereign states in Europe with fully-fledged governments and parliaments which represent legitimate interests of their citizens, but only one State will remain. Basic things will be decided by a remote 'federal government' in…” quote by Vaclav Klaus
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“This is crossing the Rubicon, after which there will be no more sovereign states in Europe with fully-fledged governments and parliaments which represent legitimate interests of their citizens, but only one State will remain. Basic things will be decided by a remote 'federal government' in Brussels and, for example, Czech citizens will be only a tiny particle whose voice and influence will be almost zero. ... We are against a European superstate.”

Vaclav Klaus

About This Quote

Source Speech: European Union referendum debate, Czech Republic, 2016

The speaker warns that a fully integrated European superstate would erode national sovereignty, reducing citizens to insignificant participants under a distant bureaucracy.

In simple terms: A unified Europe could strip nations of real power.

Key Takeaway

Guard national autonomy.

Themes

sovereignty political integration citizen representation EU nationalism democracy

Mood

concerned critical analytical

Type

political warning opinion

When to use this quote

  • national elections
  • policy debates
  • citizen activism
  • media commentary
  • academic analysis

Key Concepts

federalism centralization political theory

Questions to Reflect On

  • How would you balance European cooperation with national self‑determination?
  • What safeguards could protect citizen voice in a larger union?
A Different Perspective

The EU may still preserve meaningful local influence through subsidiarity mechanisms.

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