What is to become of Europe, now that it is in the midst of a perfect storm of several crises: recovering from a deep recession, coping with an unprecedented number of asylum seekers and refugees, not being able to protect its borders, terrorist attacks and – as a result – declining trust of its citizens? In this Foreign Affairs article Oxford Professor Woods argues that the most likely prospect is a more fractious, divided Europe, “drifting away from the vision of its founders and champions”.
Where a rise of localism and even separatism will remain a simmering threat on the background, and changing demographics (already 16 of Germany 81 million people are of foreign or immigrant descent) will be altering Europe from within, the most likely outcome is a European continent that will, under German leadership, cooperate as well as circumstances permit.
Whether this is to be feared, will “depend largely on domestic politics within Germany, as well as on the willingness of Europe’s larger players to keep Germany focused on (and constrained by) the mutual benefits of the union.”
.
DANIEL PEPIJN VAN DIJK 