"Within the next 10 -20 years, this position will undoubtedly reverse. Whilst by 2050, the USA will boast a population nearing 500m whilst the United States of Europe will still be languishing around 380m."
Where did you get these figures from ?
I think the main priority of the EU is to embed the Baltic states into the EU then Eastern European states such as Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechs, Poland etc. The main priority of the EU is to integrate Western Europe which are mainly fiat currencies and regarded rather wealthy with the Eastern European states that are regarded gold backed and to converge the two regions via trade and development. Turkey has also applied to join the EU, and have been initially blocked by the Greeks. The Turks are asked to work harder to clean up their internal humanitarian issues and a change to their politics to suit the EU's 'open democratic' policy, Turkey is not far away but they have alot of hard work to do. If Germany and France can become buddies after centuries of fighting and bloodshed, I think Turkey under the EU umbrella will be an asset to the EU and the Greeks won't block them. The other issues are the UK to join the EU and have openly stated they will in due course and the Russians will eventually join once they realise the economic and security benefits to them. I think maybe in 15 years you will find your figures to be rather flawed. Australia will either be a republic in 15 years or remain to be a Commonwealth member under the EU umbrella. Europa is destined to be an absolute power within its own right. Regarding the EU-US relationship/partnership. Well, the US will have a stiff trade competitor/partner with equal cultural ideals that can only assist trade, information exchange and development in the longer run.
