THE CHALLENGES FOR EUROPE IN THE SECOND AND THIRD DECADE OF THE THIRD MILLENNIUM

Abstract

After the Second World War, Europe has opted for integration. The European Communities and, later on, the European Union, proved a successful concept.  With the entering into force of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009, it a streamlined European Union which we have to look to if we want to speak about he Challenges for Europe after the turn to the third millennium. The Union that emerged from the Lisbon Treaty is faced with quite a number of challenges: a global economic crisis, hardly overcome, an aging European society with the negative demographic development likely to endanger the competitiveness of European national economies and the sustainability of European social models, climatic change, a mounting dependence on energy provided from outside, and the shift of production and of return on capital to the East. In addition, there is a security problem constituted by terrorism, organised crime and proliferation of nuclear weapons. The European Union will have to actively participate in the measures called for in order to bring about the necessary changes in the world. What is called for is not only co-operation between the Member States but also uniting the various social groups within the different Member States in one common effort. As regards globalisation, a multipolar system of what once might have been called hegemonial states has evolved. This calls for the reform of global steering structures. This presupposes a system of multilateral steering. Unfortunately, there exists only a fragile consensus about such a system of multilateral steering. The European Union should therefore work in favour of a new consensus on the basis of what can be called a Grand Bargain, with mutual advantages for all involved. There still exits a gap between the capacities of the European Union in the economic field and its capacities in the area of Foreign and Security Policy.  What is needed is a common European strategic concept for reshaping the rules of world government. The Union must remain open for every State that fulfils the criteria for membership, because it is those criteria which constitute the true borders of Europe. The European Union is more than just a common market. It is an area of security, freedom and justice. Such an area must be based on common values; and these values have now been repeated and expanded, by the Lisbon Treaty, in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union. Keywords: European Union, Lisbon Treaty, demographic development, terrorism, organised crime and proliferation of nuclear weapons.