The Future of Europe: Renewing the project

Article

This report undertakes an analysis of the EU's progress and contemporary challenges, and proposes ways of renewing the project in four related domains: Europe's economy, its 'social dimension', its political system, and its relations with the world. Rather than a crisis, or even malaise, it argues that the EU and its member states are facing an entirely manageable process of adjustment, which requires pragmatic, rather than grandiose, solutions.

The future of the European Union (EU) has never been the subject of so much intense scrutiny, with academic analysts, media commentators and think-tank pundits all weighing in on the subject of its current misfortunes and malaise. It is hard to believe, when faced with the post-Constitution-rejection handwringing, that, over the last two decades, the EU has successfully completed two rounds of enlargement.

The last of these, in 2004, marked the end of the post-war division of the continent, has broken down most of the barriers to commerce among its member states, and has undertaken the most ambitious experiment in economic and monetary union in history. All of this would have been unimaginable to even the most Euro-optimistic of observer, as recently as the early 1980s.

This report undertakes an analysis of the EU's progress and contemporary challenges, and proposes ways of renewing the project in four related domains: Europe's economy, its 'social dimension', its political system, and its relations with the world. Rather than a crisis, or even malaise, it argues that the EU and its member states are facing an entirely manageable process of adjustment, which requires pragmatic, rather than grandiose, solutions.

Related items

  1. The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, River Thames and Westminster Bridge

    Taxing choices: Taking the public’s temperature ahead of the budget

    The stakes for a government are rarely higher than at a budget. Every chancellor has dealt with this differently. Ken Clarke would draft his budget speech with cigars and whisky, Gordon Brown pored over every word in what officials called…
  2. Scottish parliament building at Holyrood and Calton Hill, Edinburgh

    Great expectations: Rejuvenating the national debate in Scotland

    Fresh IPPR Scotland polling shows that politicians must raise their game if next year’s election is a to be serious debate about the challenges facing Scotland and potential solutions. 
  3. A Black man in a bright orange high vis jacket and hard hat stands in the middle of a road holding a sign that says 'STOP - WORKS'

    Unfinished business: Redressing inequality in British policy and Black lives

    As conversations about race and equality continue to evolve, Black History Month remains a powerful invitation to pause, reflect, and recommit to progress.