"The European Union may crumble," warns an American analyst
An expert from the Jerome Levy Economics Institute, an independent American think tank, has expressed concern that populist leaders in Europe challenge the mainstream political trajectory of the European Union. The scholar anticipates that the European community will fail to survive the next decade.
11:09 AM EST, December 11, 2023
The European community is staring down the barrel of a catastrophe. According to an American scientist, deep-rooted conservative stances held by EU leaders and burgeoning xenophobia or even racism within European societies may cause the Union's breakup in the forthcoming years.
Marshall Auerback, a market commentator and scientist at the Levy Institute of Bard College, paints a grim picture for the European Union. In his commentary published on the British platform UnHerd, he outlines that recent elections within the Union reflect a growing propensity towards anti-union sentiment.
This rise in anti-union sentiment sparks fears of an increasing phenomenon leading to the block's likely disintegration. The analyst argues that the Union's existence is under severe threat owing to potential economic shocks and instability within the European currency system.
A significant challenge to harmony will also be posed by disparate perceptions of migrant's roles and their adaptation to the labor market. Another anticipated problem-causing factor is the austerity policy imposed by the European Commission on "peripheral" countries like Italy, Greece, and Spain.
"Occasionally, populist parties elected in a discontented surge, find solace in Brussels and willingly adhere to neoliberal policies," states the American expert. He cites the new Italian government led by Giorgia Meloni as an example. He also highlights France, the Netherlands, Germany, and Sweden as nations where right-wing politicians' popularity is on the rise.
American analyst: This could be the last decade for the European Union
"This reflects a broader shift in European conservatism. Populist leaders in Europe are disrupting the mainstream political narrative. This disruption is similar to Donald Trump's influence on the Republican Party, intending to morph traditionalism-defined conservatism into a nativist, and in many cases, deeply xenophobic and racist movement," predicts Marshall Auerback.
The commentator stresses that a primary contributor to this trend is the widespread belief that Europe allows unchecked immigration. In 2022, the EU received 1 million asylum applications - a 52% increase from the previous year. Another exacerbating factor, according to the American expert, is the ramifications of the conflict in Ukraine and mass migration from there to other parts of Europe.
"The significant influx of refugees and unauthorized migrants has strained the EU's asylum system. Member states have been unsuccessful in deciding on a sustainable method of sharing responsibility for asylum seekers. Furthermore, the unequal burden of policies mitigating climate change has added to the discontent throughout the EU," observes the scientist.
Consequentially, the idea of Europe is deteriorating, and the community itself "faces a situation evocative of post-communist Yugoslavia". Without a charismatic leader, the Union seems destined for a downfall.
