Decline of the European Union

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the nations of Europe have engaged in two World Wars, resulting in the destruction of empires, drastic hyperinflation of countries, and the death of millions of innocent people. In an attempt to prevent Europe from engaging in another unnecessary, bloody battle, the French foreign minister at the time, Robert Schuman, proposed on May 9th, 1950 joint control of steel and coal production. His reasoning was that steel and coal were the two most important materials needed to fuel war and therefore, with no one state having complete control over the two, no individual state could declare war. Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands all agreed to this premise, creating the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) – the first step towards European integration.

Although undergoing several name changes the European Union has not seen another world war and has experienced impressive economic growth during the 1950s and 60s, implemented progressive laws protecting the environment in the 70s, helped Berlin prevail over the threat of communism, and established the four freedoms: movement of people, goods, services and money. Why then, is an establishment that has experienced so much success and overcome numerous challenges to peace struggling so greatly now?

There are multiple reasons contributing to the EU’s drastic affairs. In 2008, the Global Financial Crisis affected Europe harshly, particularly Greece, which is still feeling the effects today. In 2010, Greece was on the verge of bankruptcy, as they were only receiving 2/3rds of what they should through taxes, their shadow economy was 27%, and the government had to deal with 300,000 cases of tax evasion. This led to the involvement of Troika, who have implemented multiple strategies to restore Greece’s economy, such as the 39 actions. However, Greece has viewed this as an impeachment on sovereignty, refusing at times to cooperate with Troika and the EU. Some states such as Germany, Italy and the Netherlands have been willing to support and negotiate with Greece through this difficult time and have urged Greece to remain in the EU and to follow Troika’s demands. However, not all countries have shown such enthusiasm; some adopt the mindset that either Greece go or they go. The lack of support by the likes of Ireland, Estonia, Slovakia and others reinforces the state of disturbed peace throughout the EU.

Currently, the world is facing the worst refugee crisis in human history, with 65 million people displaced. People from Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Iraq are all fleeing their homes due to the violence in their homeland, and flooding into Europe seeking asylum. In the face of such an unprecedented movement of people over their borders, the EU is divided on how to handle the refugee crisis. In 2015, Germany accepted 800,000 refugees and encouraged other nations to take in their fair share. However, political figures in the UK such as Nigel Farage and Borris Johnson believed they had no responsibility to accept any refugees and that immigrants are detrimental to British society. Disagreeing so fervently with their European counterparts on how to handle this problem, the two men encouraged Britain to leave the EU. This culminated in 2016 when 52% of British citizens voted for the infamous Brexit. Britain’s departure from the EU has inspired political figures in other European countries to follow suit. These aspirations for division rather than unity are causing a return to an era of restlessness and chaos throughout Europe.

Economic failures and asylum seekers are not problems the EU hasn’t faced before. Throughout its existence, the regional grouping has overcome numerous obstacles equally as complex through establishing a game plan generally based on cooperation. Therefore, it is not so much the issues causing the EU to collapse but how nations are responding to them. The resurgence of populist politics has seen six countries raise the possibility of leaving the EU. This week, far right populist leader Geert Wilders had the chance to be elected the new leader of the Netherlands. Wilders based his campaign on anti-immigration and anti-EU policies, which are eerily similar to those proposed by Farage and Johnson during the Brexit campaign. While Wilders wasn’t elected into office, there is still a chance for the France National Front leader Marion Le Pen, who promotes the same ideals. Claiming to have sought inspiration from Donald Trump and the UK, Le Pen insists, if elected, she would hold a Frexit referendum and restore the great nation of France through policies based on exclusion and coercion. While Wilders, Le Pen, and other political leaders think that these methods will create a better society, they are frighteningly alike to the ones Mussolini, Hitler and Stalin initiated during their times of authoritarian rule. The original purpose of establishing a body such as the EU was to prevent these sort of ideals from dominating Europe.

Clearly, the EU is suffering, which if not attended to soon may result in its eventual collapse. While the refugee dilemma and aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis are contributing factors, it is the lack of willingness by EU members to resolve these matters through cooperation that is ultimately undermining the institution. Having relative success in maintaining peace for so long, it would seem inconceivable that countries such as France, Austria, Italy and the Netherlands would terminate their EU membership. Yet, with self-interest prevailing over the common good, the chances of them doing so are quite high, especially if populist parties are elected. For the EU to survive it has to return to its roots of unity, harmonious cooperation and political order. Whether that is possible is a completely different question.

Related