A Terrible Time For Europe To Be Divided

On 25 March 2017, European institutions and governments will come together in Rome to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the treaty that laid the foundation for the European Union (EU) we know today. In its White Paper on the Future of Europe, the EU maps out five possible scenarios, and tries to find answers to an old question: What future do we want for the Union?

Amid the current situation in which populists, anti-European parties are questioning the EU's very existence—the most dramatic result being Brexit—the question should be: Can Europe be saved?

But the rise of right-wing parties attacking the EU is not the only problem Europe is facing right now. The EU is being threatened both externally and internally. The refugee crisis and the newly aggressive Russia and Turkey make this a terrible time to be divided.

EU enthusiasts call for a closer union, but public opinion—the article claims—favors the reverse. The results of the next presidential elections in France will be crucial.

What if Europe fails to fix itself?

The report argues that the answer is to pursue a more flexible EU, embracing a 'multi-tier' system in a much wider Europe, including non-members as well: "...if the union cannot embrace differentiation, it faces the risk of disintegration instead."