In the past one week, I have given myself a small treat, travelling the breadth of the European Community by train, from Belgium, the entry into the Schengen countries that use a common visa, to Slovenia a small Slavic republic behind the former iron curtain.
Entering the EU is either an annoyance or an irritation, long passport processing lines exist to remind you, you are about to enter an economic union. There is no priority for tourists or any other category.
Once inside the EU, you have the freedom to travel as far as you may. This is something our decision makers inside the East African Community should urgently consider.
Talk of borders, there are none, whether you are travelling by train, by road or by air. No one is interested in where you are coming from or going. The European train system, the Eurail sells you a pass, seven travel days, 14 days or 30 days.
At most you will only pay extra for booking the busier trains. It is easy to understand why Europe spent two centuries projecting military power, inwards, outwards and finds itself in the same situation with the former iron curtain at its feet.
A passenger can book train travel from Brussels, in the Benelux countries, move across the entire Germany on the Deutsche Bahn and then cross into Austria on the Austria Bahn before boarding Slovenian trains inside Slovenia, with one bar code. Thousands commute every day in opposite directions for work, pleasure etc.
Languages seamlessly transition depending on the carrier. Inside the EU, there are richer and poorer neighbours. There is also the issue of cost of living. Most of the members of the EU use a common currency which has made cost of living high, especially for the poorer countries. The poorer members have to meet the same social mandates, free education, free housing and often find they have to borrow. However, this is more than mitigated by the alignment of big and small industry.
Smaller and poorer members are providing high quality inputs for the richer economies, Germany, Switzerland an even richer non-EU member. The signal to everyone else, though the union is closing to all foreign content.
New mandates will require some form of EU finishing at the end of next year. After the shock of the Russia-Ukraine war, partly precipitated over identity issues, struggling with higher energy costs, there is a new consensus to share what they have within and not without the Community.
Countries like the UK will feel the brunt. Others like the African countries will feel the brunt in the form of non-tariff barriers. We may only be left to export what they don’t have, and possibly human resource. The EU is aging fast, not as fast as China, but in some countries like Germany faster.It is a little surprise, that the German announcement on the train from Frankfurt to Munich is quite understandable. The announcer is African, speaking professional German taught in schools without an accent.
Even myself an elementary speaker can easily follow. In terms of technology, the speeds are decent, soaring just 280 km an hour. That is still slower than the magnet train in Shanghai, my fastest record train ride, that swept us from downtown Shanghai to Pu Dong International Airport in four and a half minutes, at a soaring 435 km an hour. The train itself runs in a magnetic field above the tracks.But still the luxury of the internet and comfort are remarkable on the IC- International Trains. In the marketplace are many goods, Ugandans can export, if they get all the certifications they need before the end of next year.
Major carriers flying out of Entebbe can carry vegetables, fruits that are in short supply in this corner of the European Union. Europe’s breadbasket, oil refinery, Russia is now closed off because of sanctions. It is also unlikely Russia will ever be Europe’s major trading partner, most of the Russian produce is now going to China instead, another spectacle in the complicated global politik.
Mr Ssemogerere is an Attorney-At-Law
and an Advocate. [email protected]
