A Second Chance for Europe : Economic, Political and Legal Perspectives of the European Union

This book calls upon us to rethink and reboot the European Union. The authors dissect the EU's many vulnerabilities: how some Member States are backsliding on the rule of law, freedom of the press, and control of corruption -- and how globalization's 'discontents' are threatening the liberal international order. It examines the need for a common immigration policy; the need to rethink the unsustainable debt overhang of some Eurozone countries; and the need to use education to foster a European identity. Given the sum total of these vulnerabilities, the book argues, the EU may not survive beyond 2025 in its present form -- that is, unless decisive action is taken. In turn, the book puts forward a number of workable solutions: a European economic model to secure full employment; a stronger European Court of Human Rights to counter systemic violations; a points-based immigration policy; clear exit options for the Eurozone; and an Open Education Area with a common second language. These solutions may reduce the number of EU countries, but would increase cohesion and overall survivability Front Matter....Pages i-vii European Citizens at Risk....Pages 1-25 Halting Support for the EU....Pages 27-57 A Vibrant European Model....Pages 59-112 In Europe We Trust....Pages 113-133 EU Mobility....Pages 135-153 A Sustainable Immigration Policy for the EU....Pages 155-181 A Sustainable Eurozone with Exit Options....Pages 183-222 European Identity and the Learning Union....Pages 223-244 Forward to a Second Chance for Europe....Pages 245-271