European Union—Crises and Challenges in Twenty-first Century

Abstract

The European Union is passing through an endogenous poli-crises which is emphasized by exogenous features originated in the new geostrategic architecture of contemporary world. The economic crises overlaid on the necessity of a new social contract needed to re-legitimize European Union among its own citizens should be managed in a context of a recalibration of the international balance of power. Issues and events, like the conflicts in the neighborhood of the community, the impact of immigration or redefining relations with traditional partners or negotiations with emerging powers under full resurrection of nationalism is proposing a more variable geometry of the European Union. The chapter is analyzing these major challenges as a starting point of rediscovering a successful story that offers a new political identity to the European integration project.