The Lisbon Scorecard VI: Will Europe’s economy rise again

The European Union and its ‘Lisbon agenda’ of economic reform, have received a battering over the past year. The pace of reform has remained slow in the big eurozone countries. Fears over the EU’s eastward enlargement and high levels of unemployment have fostered a new spirit of national protectionism. Yet Aurore Wanlin argues that many underlying trends are positive. Enlargement and globalisation are slowly forcing Europeans to accept change. The eurozone is showing signs of recovery. Many European economies are performing strongly. Furthermore, a new wave of cross-border mergers suggests that the single market is making an impact. This pamphlet, the CER’s sixth Lisbon scorecard, assesses the progress of the various member-states – and highlights the heroes and villains of economic reform.