NORTHERN EUROPE: FROM EUROPEAN INTEGRATION TO THE PRESERVATION OF NATIONAL IDENTITY AND SOVEREIGNTY

NORTHERN EUROPE: FROM EUROPEAN INTEGRATION TO THE PRESERVATION OF NATIONAL IDENTITY AND SOVEREIGNTY

Nurgul Kaziyeva

Specialist in the field of Banking supervision, Risk management and Islamic finance, Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan Master of Public Policy,

Japan, Tokyo

European integration of the Nordic countries

The Nordic countries (Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Finland, and Sweden), like other European countries, are involved in the process of European integration through membership in the European Union, through membership in the Eurozone, and through participation in the Schengen Agreement. The prerequisites for the participation of the Nordic countries in European integration are historical and modern events, both in these countries, and in neighboring countries, and in the third world countries. European integration is accompanied by the formation of a single European space, in particular the European Union and many European institutions, in whose development the countries of Northern Europe are also involved.

On the way to European integration, the Nordic countries participated in various European institutions, such as European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), European Free Trade Association (EFTA), European Economic Community (EEC), European Union, Eurozone, Schengen area, European Economic Area (EEA), etc. Each of these structures makes a certain contribution (positive or negative) to the development of the Nordic countries.

European integration problems for the Nordic countries.

Migration of third countries: the threat of losing the national identity of the Nordic countries.

The Nordic countries, being involved in the process of European integration, today experience not only the advantages of European integration but also significant disadvantages.

The process of European integration in the Nordic countries is accompanied by problems related to:

• with an increase in the flow of immigrants to these countries, and with their unwillingness to integrate into the society of the host country;
• with an increase in the expenditures of the Nordic countries on social benefits to immigrants;
• with the concern of the indigenous population of the Nordic countries about the processes of European integration, in particular with the increased threat of loss of national identity/sovereignty;
• due to the reluctance of the Nordic countries to be dependent on the European Union, both economically and politically.

In the context of European integration and the functioning of the European Union, the Nordic countries have become a target for the immigration of citizens of Eastern Europe and third-country nationals to Nordic countries that have a high level of welfare, strong social support for immigrants, and a loyal migration policy.

In such conditions, immigrants strive to get to the Nordic countries, where they are provided with the best conditions of stay. At the same time, the status of immigration has changed dramatically in recent years. If earlier they immigrated to the Nordic countries for employment and making money, then nowadays, immigrants, in particular, are refugees from Africa, Asia, the Near and Middle East and immigrants seeking to reunite with their families (hereinafter referred to as immigrants from third countries).

The factors of increasing immigration of people from third countries to the Nordic countries are attractive living conditions in these countries; open borders in the EU zone (free movement of people within the EU countries); military and economically difficult situations in various countries of the world (from where refugees rushed to Europe in search of a better life, in search of protection for their families and children).

Northern Europe, despite its openness to immigrants for many decades, today experiences problems with the presence of immigrants in their countries, primarily due to the reluctance of immigrants from third countries to integrate into the social structure of the host country.

On the contrary, immigrants in the Nordic countries try to keep themselves isolated from the indigenous population, do not get involved in the life of the country, do not seek to learn the language of the country of residence, do not seek to work (due to their high social benefits), form entire areas/territories of their residence in cities and towns localities in the Nordic countries, commit offenses and crimes, show contempt for local customs, indigenous peoples, norms of behavior, etc.

In such a situation, the indigenous population of the Nordic countries is dissatisfied with immigrants and the violation of the calm, comfortable foundations of the life of the Scandinavian countries, fears the loss of the national identity of their countries, as there are more and more immigrants, and they live by their own laws in the host countries.

Unfortunately, the Nordic countries are becoming multi-ethnic countries in which the indigenous population has been decreasing in recent decades, and the number of immigrants from Africa, the Middle East, Asia is growing from year to year.

Dependence on the European Union: supranational regulation of the Nordic countries.

The European Union, being a supranational institution for European countries, in turn, acts as a regulator of the development of economic, political, financial, cultural, military, and other spheres of activity of the EU member states. The European Union decides to whom and in what amounts to provide financing to the economies of European countries; adopts legislative documents and decisions that must be implemented by all EU countries (even if this is to the detriment of one or another European country - an EU member); develops general/uniform provisions in various areas of the life of European countries; has many institutions, which are also kind of regulating the EU countries.

Even though each European country has its own governing body, its own country's leadership, its own budget, etc., all EU countries (including the Nordic countries that are members of the European Union) are dependent on the European Union, on its decisions and regulations. This circumstance characterizes the lack of independence of the European EU member states, the lack of sovereignty, since the European Union decides everything for them, and they must unquestioningly fulfill all the conditions/requirements/decisions of the European Union.

The Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Finland) are colder about the functioning of the European Union and are pursuing a cautious policy in matters of further integration with the European Union. Thus, of the three Nordic countries - EU members, only Finland is part of the eurozone, while Denmark and Sweden have retained their national currencies.

The membership of these Nordic countries in the European Union opens up the borders for mass immigration of people to these countries. Denmark, Sweden, Finland, being EU members, cannot but accept a huge flow of immigrants, since the rule of freedom of movement of people in the European Union, is in effect.

Immigrants, once in one of the EU countries, automatically receive the right to free movement in the EU zone, and the Nordic countries suffer from this rule since they cannot independently (by their own decision) close the borders for immigrants.

In case the Nordic countries were not EU members, they were able to take measures at their national level to prevent immigrants from entering their countries. As members of the European Union, all EU countries must replenish the EU budget with customs duties on imports, VAT deductions, and other receipts. This, in turn, is a burden for the EU countries, including the Nordic countries of the EU.

The supranational status of the European Union, when the countries of the European Union are subordinate to this body, the impossibility of an independent decision by a European country on the issues of the country's life, the impossibility of ignoring compliance with the requirements and decisions of the European Union, the tax burden of the European Union on the countries of the European Union, unfair distribution of funds, etc. ., causes a negative attitude of the Nordic countries to the functioning of the European Union, to the reluctance of the Nordic countries to further participate in the process of European integration within the European Union. The Nordic countries fear the loss of national identity and national sovereignty within the framework of their presence in the European Union.

Ways to preserve national identity and sovereignty in the Nordic countries.

The increase in the number of immigrants in the Nordic countries threatens to lose the national identity of these countries since the Nordic countries today represent a multi-ethnic state. When the country is multinational, but the indigenous population predominates and when all nationalities live in peace and harmony, this is an example of a successful country where everyone is comfortable working and living.

Unfortunately, the countries of Northern Europe, being countries with a high level of prosperity, today are losing their identity, their "European face", since immigrants are settling in these countries in large numbers.

However, the most negative impact on the Nordic countries is exerted by the lifestyle of immigrants (their unwillingness to integrate into the European rules of life, their disrespect for the indigenous population, their abuse of social status, their unwillingness to work and their parasitism, their unwillingness to learn the languages ​​of the country of residence, lack of education, etc. qualifications, the creation of their districts, the creation of a criminal situation and possibly extremist movements, etc.).

In order to preserve the national identity of the country and to increase the social responsibility of immigrants in the countries of residence, it is necessary to tighten the migration policy towards immigrants in the Nordic countries. Today, Denmark is an example of a tough policy towards immigrants (requires learning Danish, may deport immigrants for offenses, etc.).

It is also crucial to strengthen migration control at the borders of countries, to strengthen accounting for the flow and outflow of immigrants, accounting for unemployment benefits and refugee benefits, reduce the amount of various monetary benefits/payments to immigrants in the Nordic countries, develop requirements for immigrants to respect the indigenous population of the country, to the local foundations of life, to compulsory language learning and employment within 3-4 months (after which the payment of all social benefits should stop), which should induce immigrants to find work, to find employment and receive a salary, and not to abuse the receipt of funds from state (being dependent on the host country) and not to parasitism and delinquency.

In order to preserve the national sovereignty of not only the Nordic countries, but in general all the European countries that make up the European Union, it would be advisable to transform the European Union, in which the European Union will not be a supranational body for European countries, which performs the functions of a controller/regulator/distributor of funds, but will be an organization of equal cooperation of all European countries on important issues, such as the economic development of European countries, the external security of European countries, education, science, cultural exchange of European countries. With such a model, all European countries, including the Nordic countries, will have national sovereignty, will be independent both politically, economically, and financially.

Membership in the European Union should provide European countries, first of all, with external security, economic cooperation between European countries, without levying any taxes and duties. The budget of the European Union should be formed by the membership fees of the member states, depending on the GDP of each country, through which the European Union will finance strategically important projects in the European region (with their consent) and ensure the external security of Europe as a whole.

This is a complex issue, perhaps not subject to discussion and implementation in practice. But the above model of transformation of the European Union may optimize European integration, not to the detriment of European countries, but to support them and mutual cooperation.

One of the ways to preserve the national identity of the Nordic countries is to increase the number of the indigenous population. Over the past decades, in the countries of Europe, including in Northern Europe, there has been a practice of late marriage, the practice of unwillingness to have children (that is, people live for themselves) and as a result the population of European countries is represented mostly by the population of old age, European youth and children are few, hence the lack of a sufficient number of the working-age population in European countries and the need to attract foreign labor in certain years, which led Europe to the flow of immigrants to their countries in the 20th century and continued immigration in the 21st century.

The continuation of this situation in Northern Europe (when people marry late and do not want to have children), together with an increase in the flow of immigrants to the Nordic countries, is likely to lead to the loss of the national identity of the Nordic countries. In a couple of decades, the population of the Nordic countries will actually be represented not by Europeans, but by ethnic immigrants from Africa, Asia, the Near and Middle East, etc.

To avoid such a demographic change in the Nordic countries, it is necessary to raise the birth rate of the indigenous population in order to preserve the national identity, national traditions, culture, and life of the peoples of Northern Europe.

To increase the birth rate of the indigenous population in the Nordic countries, it is urgently necessary at the state level to adopt a program to increase the birth rate of the indigenous population (provide for huge material support for the birth of a child, provide for medical, social and other benefits for families in which children will be born). This program should apply only to the indigenous people of the country and to mixed families, where one of the spouses is an indigenous resident of the country, and the child born in such a family automatically becomes a citizen of this country.

The foundations of the life of the European people, in particular the selfish attitude of European youth towards themselves over the years (unwillingness to create families, unwillingness to bear and raise children), aging of the European population, and European integration (including external and internal migration) lead to the threat of loss of national identity European countries, especially the Nordic countries. Therefore, solving the problem of increasing the indigenous population is important for preserving the European face and national identity of the Nordic countries.

The need and importance of economically justified transformations for solving the problems of European integration in the Nordic countries determine the particular relevance of a comprehensive solution to the problems of preserving the national identity and sovereignty of the Nordic countries in the context of the general integration of European countries, which should include the following transformations:

• solving the problems of European integration that affect the national identity and sovereignty of the Nordic countries;
• development of proposals to strengthen the migration policy of the Nordic countries and to increase the responsibility and duties of immigrants in the host countries;
• transformation of the European Union, namely, a change in its status from a supranational structure (when the European Union is in a position "from above" in relation to European countries) to the organization of comprehensive cooperation (when the European Union is in a position "horizontal" in relation to all European countries "): that is, from a regulatory body to a body for mutual and equal cooperation of European countries;
• development of a program to increase the birth rate of the indigenous population in the Nordic countries.

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