King Charles III will emphasize the value of traditional alliances and international friendships in a time of “increasing wars” in his Commonwealth Day message. The ceremony will be attended by artists such as former Spice Girl member Geri Halliwell-Horner and Oti Mabuse from Strictly Come Dancing.
Against the backdrop of war in the Middle East and Ukraine, the King will praise the unifying power of the Commonwealth, a voluntary union of 56 countries. But what good will this praise do?
The Commonwealth has a name but no substance. It has no influence on anything. It has no opinion on anything. They only come together and disperse from time to time. That’s all. It’s not a political union. There’s no visible, clear trade agreement among the 56 countries. It’s unclear what countries sell to each other, what they buy from each other, and even the extent of the privileges the Commonwealth grants to its citizens is uncertain. It’s just a voluntary union, a mere crowd of 56 countries with no influence or authority.
King Charles will emphasize international friendships in difficult times, but friendship alone isn’t enough. Shared values need to be effective. At the very least, citizens of the 56 countries should feel extra free, be able to make extra investments, live, start businesses, and settle in these countries whenever they wish. This is an institution that exists but whose presence isn’t felt. We could even say, ‘It’s not the Commonwealth of Nations, it’s a dead community of nations.’ The difficult thing to understand is: why does an organization that is useless and ineffective exist?
Reggie Regg /Editor