In Europe, China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative primarily
interacts with the institutional and physical landscape of the ‘shared
neighbourhood’ between Russia and the European Union (EU). Norms and
institutions in these ‘borderland’ states reflect an institutional ambiguity
between the Eurasian and EU brands of market integration. In this chapter,
the structures of economic governance in this region and their interaction
with OBOR are examined from institutional and infrastructural
perspectives. It is argued that OBOR is incompatible with current trends
of European economic governance. In Ukraine and the 16+1 states, the
interplay between Chinese state-controlled entities and oligarchic elites
deconstructs formal norms and institutions and reinforces informal
structures. Instability in the borderlands increases, while infrastructure
investments extend the shadowy character of OBOR-induced practices
into the future.
It is common today, even in the European media, to treat the current crisis of the European Union almost exclusively as an economic crisis. The present article pretends to show that such a focus is not only wrong but is indeed dangerous for the future development of the European Union as a whole. The article will argue that the present economic crisis simply aggravated – and a lot – a crisis of legitimacy through which the European Union has been passing for some time. Showing that the anti-European tendencies which are spreading throughout the countries of the continent threaten the very future of the European project, the article will make suggestion on reforms for the future development of the EU, alerting to the necessity to finally elaborate once again a coherent argument for the continuation of the European integration process which puts the European population at the heart of the political process instead of just austerity.
European Union Politics equips readers to understand the European Union and the topical debates and issues which surround it. Alongside comprehensive coverage of the history, theory, institutions, and policies of the EU, it features a whole section on contemporary issues and current debates, including democracy and legitimacy in the EU, public opinion, the economic crisis, and a brand new chapter on the future of the EU. Helpful learning features throughout the text, including key points, questions, and examples, support learning.
Nowadays, the foundation pillars of European unification, namely solidarity and democracy, are under serious threat, perhaps more serious than that from the 2008 economic crisis, Brexit, the migration crisis and COVID-19 combined. As happened in the past, space and geography are again at the forefront asking for interpretations. A once progressive academic field such as urban and regional research is due now to regain its progressive reflexes together with broader political concerns about the future of the European Union (EU).
The essay presents a diachronic approach to the political issues underway in present-time Europe, focusing on the global economic crisis that started in 2008, on emerging social problems, on the symptoms of possible disintegration of the European Union, on populist nationalisms in Central Europe and in Italy. Of these intertwined phenomena, an interpretation from a historical perspective is suggested.
<p>In this study we show that, in the aftermath of the economic crisis, Romanians remain among the most enthusiastic citizens of the European Union, in what concerns trust in the European institutions, projections for the future, the image of the EU and general attitudes toward the union. Relying on data provided by eurobarometers since the Romanian integration, we argue that the reasons for this peculiar position of Romanians within the EU is largely due to how people evaluate the economic and political performance of their own country: from evaluations of the economy to trust in national institutions, Romanians are very pessimistic about how their country handles the present situation and about perspectives for the future. In this context, they turn to the European Union as to a Savior, who represents their hope and promise for a better future, for economic prosperity and security. This is the reason why, more than five years after the beginning of the financial crisis, Romanians are still among the most optimistic citizens of Europe.</p>
Labor Market Policy In Developing Countries : A Selective Review Of The Literature And Needs For The Future