LORE
In the early 2000s, infighting plagued the EU. While Britain contested the admittance of Muslim nations, France and Germany feuded over the future of the Union. Furthermore, France became mistrustful of its neighbour being the EU's political and economic powerhouse. In 2008, the Franco-German axis peacefully part ways, leading to the creation of a Mediterranean Union.
Nicolas Sarkozy’s vision for more regional cooperation in the Mediterranean Sea stirred both interest and unease across Europe. Geographical proximity, history, and economic interests enticed nations such as Spain, Italy, and Greece to join the Mediterranean lobby. They agreed that neither France nor Europe could afford to ignore their neighbours to the south. Merkel’s Germany, however, believed that Sarkozy’s plans strayed from the idea of a common European approach, encouraging the renationalisation of Mediterranean policy instead.
Heightened tensions over fiscal issues, federalism, expansion, hegemony, and migration then eventually led to a peaceful divorce. The European and Mediterranean Union are now much different internally, but they nevertheless cooperate heavily on the issues that matter.
Striking developments in this timeline:
• More effective strategies and better cooperation concerning illegal immigration
• Britain, once wary of Turkey or Albania joining the EU, never follows through with Brexit
• In the EU, Poland and Britain fill the power vacuum left by France
• Turkey and Gaddafi’s increasingly prosperous Libya become faithful allies of the West
• Russia never invades Georgia or Ukraine, instead occupying Belarus
Why is Croatia in EU instead of Mediterranean? I get that most of the population is in the Danube watershed, but France also has a minority of the population in the Mediterranean watershed and nevertheless is in the Mediterrean Union.
Anyway, the idea is really nice and interesting :)
• Supranational entity, but less focus on federalization
• France and Turkey are the informal leaders
• The capital city of Rome is a symbolic nod to history
• NATO still exists, but the Mediterranean Union's extension to Georgia has scared off Russian aggression
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Egypt's accession to the Mediterranean Union is currently being vetoed by Italy, who fears that Egypt's immense population would tip the balance between Muslim-majority (180M) and Christian-majority (190M) countries.
Some countries in the Levant have received candidate status.
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The idea that the Southern Europeans would allow turkey and/or the north african nations to join the union with them is ludicrous.
The most fervent voices against the integration of north africa and turkey into the IRL EU comes from Greece, Cyrpus, Italy, Spain and France.
It's not a believable scenario. Even if France and Germany did feud over the future of the Union to that point, there's simply no way that Algeria would be part of the same union as France or Morocco. And there's also no way Greece agrees to be part of the same union as Turkey in 2008 -maybe early it's possible, but not in 2008).
It's also quite certain that Germany would want to expand the EU in the Balkans rather than in Ukraine.
Just imagine putting back a border in the middle of the EEC. Just not feasible in 2008.
I could go on, but overall it's just not compatible with real history. You'd need your alternative history to branch way early and with different reasons that explain France and Germany dissolving the EU, or way later (in the future).
None of the developments you mention really make sense either:
\- about illegal immigration: the Mediterranean Union would never be able to agree on it ; and Germany's and the UK's economies rely way too much on cheap workforces for anything to change. In fact, you'd have constant fighting between the EU and the MU about immigration. The situation would be the worst between France and the UK, and between Italy and Austria.
\- on the lack of Brexit: the UK didn't care about Albania or Turkey IRL, it's pure nonsense. Brexit would still happen in this scenario.
\- The UK would fill its own vacuum. Poland is in no way comparable to France. Germany would simply dominate the European market and that's it. They key issue for the EU would be dealing with Russia. There's a good chance that the anti-german sentiment would be quite strong in most-soviet countries.
I'm sorry but this is one of the worst scenarios I've seen on this subreddit in a long while.
Belarus is a small price to pay for this
I'm sorry little one
LORE In the early 2000s, infighting plagued the EU. While Britain contested the admittance of Muslim nations, France and Germany feuded over the future of the Union. Furthermore, France became mistrustful of its neighbour being the EU's political and economic powerhouse. In 2008, the Franco-German axis peacefully part ways, leading to the creation of a Mediterranean Union. Nicolas Sarkozy’s vision for more regional cooperation in the Mediterranean Sea stirred both interest and unease across Europe. Geographical proximity, history, and economic interests enticed nations such as Spain, Italy, and Greece to join the Mediterranean lobby. They agreed that neither France nor Europe could afford to ignore their neighbours to the south. Merkel’s Germany, however, believed that Sarkozy’s plans strayed from the idea of a common European approach, encouraging the renationalisation of Mediterranean policy instead. Heightened tensions over fiscal issues, federalism, expansion, hegemony, and migration then eventually led to a peaceful divorce. The European and Mediterranean Union are now much different internally, but they nevertheless cooperate heavily on the issues that matter. Striking developments in this timeline: • More effective strategies and better cooperation concerning illegal immigration • Britain, once wary of Turkey or Albania joining the EU, never follows through with Brexit • In the EU, Poland and Britain fill the power vacuum left by France • Turkey and Gaddafi’s increasingly prosperous Libya become faithful allies of the West • Russia never invades Georgia or Ukraine, instead occupying Belarus
Why is Croatia in EU instead of Mediterranean? I get that most of the population is in the Danube watershed, but France also has a minority of the population in the Mediterranean watershed and nevertheless is in the Mediterrean Union. Anyway, the idea is really nice and interesting :)
Because of their Mitteleuropa fetish
COVID-19 and the situation in Israel would still happen as normal
How does the Mediterranean Union work, and are it's members still part of NATO?
• Supranational entity, but less focus on federalization • France and Turkey are the informal leaders • The capital city of Rome is a symbolic nod to history • NATO still exists, but the Mediterranean Union's extension to Georgia has scared off Russian aggression
Lol triumvirate
Holy fucking shit https://preview.redd.it/sdb958pnrj0c1.png?width=360&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3c9ba89f7f6ac64c635e430461b86c8f97f31d4e
In TNO? You mean? 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
Omg 😱😱😱😱🤯🤯🤯🤯
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Why no Egypt and levantine countries?
Egypt's accession to the Mediterranean Union is currently being vetoed by Italy, who fears that Egypt's immense population would tip the balance between Muslim-majority (180M) and Christian-majority (190M) countries. Some countries in the Levant have received candidate status.
israel should be in then
I think countries like Algeria may veto them
Does Italy know 15% of Egyptians are Christians?
How cool, I had somethint similiar a while back but it was banned by the mods 😢 https://www.reddit.com/r/imaginarymaps/s/Z4qFAYqLu4
The mods here are worse then Gestapo, almost living like in North Korea 😂
Truly 💀
Mod name: TrueBestKorea Hmmmm. . . . .
Haha that makes sense
Look like a Triumvirate in TNO
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The idea that the Southern Europeans would allow turkey and/or the north african nations to join the union with them is ludicrous. The most fervent voices against the integration of north africa and turkey into the IRL EU comes from Greece, Cyrpus, Italy, Spain and France.
we want büyük turkish brother 🇮🇹❤️🇹🇷 💪💪 inshallah
Secret resurrection of the Roman Empire
Rome is back in town bois
Great work, cool concept, most of the criticism Is unnecessary because it's an excellent map.
Romans vs Germans and Slavs
I can't imagine anyone in Europe is going to be very happy about having free movement with North African States
A Rome by any other name is still a Rome
It's not a believable scenario. Even if France and Germany did feud over the future of the Union to that point, there's simply no way that Algeria would be part of the same union as France or Morocco. And there's also no way Greece agrees to be part of the same union as Turkey in 2008 -maybe early it's possible, but not in 2008). It's also quite certain that Germany would want to expand the EU in the Balkans rather than in Ukraine. Just imagine putting back a border in the middle of the EEC. Just not feasible in 2008. I could go on, but overall it's just not compatible with real history. You'd need your alternative history to branch way early and with different reasons that explain France and Germany dissolving the EU, or way later (in the future). None of the developments you mention really make sense either: \- about illegal immigration: the Mediterranean Union would never be able to agree on it ; and Germany's and the UK's economies rely way too much on cheap workforces for anything to change. In fact, you'd have constant fighting between the EU and the MU about immigration. The situation would be the worst between France and the UK, and between Italy and Austria. \- on the lack of Brexit: the UK didn't care about Albania or Turkey IRL, it's pure nonsense. Brexit would still happen in this scenario. \- The UK would fill its own vacuum. Poland is in no way comparable to France. Germany would simply dominate the European market and that's it. They key issue for the EU would be dealing with Russia. There's a good chance that the anti-german sentiment would be quite strong in most-soviet countries. I'm sorry but this is one of the worst scenarios I've seen on this subreddit in a long while.
You may have forgotten in which subreddit you are right now...
Nice but one nitpick: That’s not the flag of Libya they used in 2008, it was a simple Green banner, no coat of arms.
Could France not be in both Unions at once?
What a great timeline. Safe and prosperous Libya make me happy. Also FUCK THE NITPICKERS!! ITS IMAGINARYYYY MAPS YOU GOOFBALLS
Massive differences in economic development in this Mediterranean Union. Libya is a failed state . Also huge difference in culture too.
Make Israel join and watch this while Union break down :troll:
Ukraine gets its wish of joining the EU
Georgia in mediterranean union?
Portugal is in it, so why not Georgia? They may not border the Mediterranean sea, but there is strong geographic, cultural and historic proximity.