INTERVIEW WITH PROFESSOR NICOLAS LEVRAT, DIRECTOR, GLOBAL STUDIES INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF GENEVA : 'POTEMKIN EUROPE' WARNING.

Scotland, Catalonia, Flanders, etc: independence movements are raising their voice in Europe. But is this really a stroke of bad luck for the Union? Nicolas Levrat, director of the Global Studies Institute at the University of Geneva in Switzerland and a leading expert in European institutional law and the evolution of regions talked to Europolitics.

Herman Van Rompuy immediately voiced concern about Catalonia's intentions, announced in December 2013, to hold a referendum on independence. In his view, the Union remains the "best option" for European citizens. What are your views?

He is within his role but is defending a model that no longer works, evidenced by a deep societal crisis. We are not seeing a surge in nationalism in the strict sense either in Scotland or Catalonia. They absolutely want to remain in the EU. As I see it, their identity demands represent a chance for the Union. It has to rethink its project and undertake a fundamental reform of its institutions to enable Catalonia or Scotland to participate directly in it and in the EU institutions.

What are your criticisms of the EU?

We live in Potemkin Europe. The Commission no longer has any mission order other than to salvage what it can during the economic crisis and Parliament is convinced that it is growing stronger, when in fact more and more is being done on an intergovernmental basis in the EU. There is no European project today...