The EU’s Existential Crisis: Far from Academic

The emergence of a potential caliphate to the south of Europe and a highly uncertain and volatile situation to the east, along with upheaval in the Middle East, has concentrated minds on the more immediate external challenges facing Europe. August 2014 was a month of not only remarkable challenges to European stability and peace, but it also highlighted the presence of an ongoing existential crisis for the EU.

At its core, this is a crisis about the identity, role and purpose of the EU on the international stage. Although there are plenty of strategies in EU external relations, it is argued that what is missing is a compelling overarching strategy explaining what the links and priorities are between the various sub-strategies. This calls for a broad strategic vision from the EU institutions and the Member
States alike. In the absence of a fundamental strategic rethink of the Union’s global strategy, the frequently project-based foreign policy risks condemning the Union to growing irrelevance.

EIPASCOPE: Archive http://www.eipa.eu/en/eipascope/archive/

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