yep, but the basis of solidarity has to be honesty, transparency, accountability, trust, reciprocity and mutuality.  I recognise that we are talking about unequal relationships in many cases, but why should German taxpayers bail out Greek Oligarchs any more than the EU tolerate/support the emergence of a military Junta in a member state?  

We are working through many issues regarding true democracy, transparency, accountability etc. in many member states.  Tolerating it in one member state does the other members states no favours whatsoever.

In that sense the EU IS going through an existential crisis.  The many areas of agreement and solidarity encoded in present Treaties have proved inadequate to deal with the Global banking/financial/economic/political crisis and the absence of sufficient fiscal integration and mutual oversight has proved key in this instance.  

Other issues that perhaps need to be tackled on an EU wide basis include media monopolies/oligopolies, banking regulation, financial transaction taxes (Tobin Tax) etc.  Even Merkel has recognised that existing Treaties are inadequate, but is it feasible to propose a new Treaty so soon after Lisbon?  Expect national oligopies/bourgeoisies to go ape-shit, and not just in the UK.
 

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