British PM Johnson Wants To Recreate The Roman Empire

 BRITISH PRIME MINISTER WANTS TO RECREATE ROMAN EMPIRE

ADAM ELIYAHU BERKOWITZ 

Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party, has always been controversial but he raised the volume last week when he suggested that the best way to unite Europe was by recreating the Roman Empire. 

His vision of the Roman Empire in the 21st century is based on a partnership that included Turkey and the North African states. At the NATO summit in Madrid last month, he told replrters that this would be based on the Mare Nostrum, the Latin term for the Mediterranean Sea. 

It is interesting to note that 19th-century Italian nationalist fascists used the term to describe Italy as the successor state to the Roman Empire. The term was again taken up by Benito Mussolini for use in fascist propaganda, in a similar manner to Adolf Hitler’s lebensraum system of colonialism.

Johnson’s plan was in contrast to the ‘European Political Community’ presented by France’s President Emmanuel Macron to the European Parliament on May 9. This community would allow the EU to force closer ties with non-members, such as the UK and the nations of the western Balkans.

Though Britain left the European Union in 2020 in a move known as Brexit, some European leaders feel Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February has created a greater need for unity in the face of a common threat. A parallel organization would enable Britain to join without reentering the EU.

Johnson and Macron had an opportunity to discuss their divergent visions at the G7 Summit in Germany last week.

“Emmanuel has an idea, which I actually claim paternity of this idea,” Mr. Johnson said.

“I had this idea back when I first became foreign secretary. My view is that we should rebuild the whole concept of … so I think that Turkey should be there, I think that Maghreb should be there, and I think we should basically be recreating the Mare Nostrum of the Roman Empire.

Johnson has compared his country to the Roman Empire on several occasions. Last year, he blamed the fall of the Roman Empire on uncontrolled immigration, adding that the same problem was to blame for the current global warming, a problem which threatened to return the world to the “dark ages.”