Widening Cracks in the Eurozone, a Possible Withdrawal of the UK and Disgruntled Citizens

With only ten months to go to the 8th Europe-wide elections to the European Parliament, the future of the European Union is uncertain. The cracks between peripheral and core countries in the eurozone are widening, the U.K. has a hand on the door handle and citizens all over Europe show their disillusionment with Europe through angry protests or general Europe-fatigue. Populism and nationalism raise their ugly heads in many countries, a worrying sign considering that the year 2014 should be a year of remembrance and reflection for Europeans. It will then be 100 years ago that WWI broke out taking over 16 million lives and leaving 20 million wounded during the five devastating years it lasted, and it will be 75 years ago that German troops invaded Poland starting WWII, a ferocious war, which with over 60 Million deaths turned into the bloodiest conflict in history. The European project that originated in 1951 was designed to prevent this from ever happening again. After many successful years in which borders disappeared and nations, which had succeeded in shaking off right- and left-wing dictatorships came on board, first cracks started to show in the debate on the ill-fated European Constitution, followed by enlargement fatigue and the rise of populist, anti-European parties. The financial crisis that hit Europe for the first time at the end of 2008 did the rest. Within just five years Europe turned into a sinking ship with too many captains at the helm squabbling over directions to take. When over 8 months European citizens will (or will not) go to the ballets to elect a new European Parliament, what Europe will they be voting for? What reforms do the European institutions need so that people can understand and trust them again? Perhaps, the choice is not between ‘more Europe’ or ‘less Europe’, but rather: what sort of Europe do we need to close the cracks and keep all nations aboard?