Passports and European Integration

Many Eastern European nations, however, have flown in the face of EU integration and maintained their own border security. This was also the case when I flew between Poland and the Czech Republic, two other member nations, a few years ago. This further supports my theory that many such nation are actually in the EU mainly for trade perks and access to EU funding, but are uncomfortable to entrusting their own nation to a organization founded by western European powers which have a history of conquering them. They seem to feel that by integrating too much they will loose some of their identity and control over their country. Personally, I can totally see this as a reasonable danger of integration, with the union dominated by economic powers such as Germany and Britain. While some Eastern European nation have continued to grow, unaffected by the economic crises, they have a few years to go still before they stand on equal footing with the west. Until then they will have continue to protect their own interests first. On the way back, the Romanian customs officer came for my passport, I smiled at him and handed it over. May they continue to stamp them at the border for years to come.