The Future of European Union and Some of the Challenges it has to Face

Abstract

On the long road of more than a century of the European Union, it is very important for everyone to understand that European Union is not anymore the so-called "exclusive club". The actual number of 27 members confirms that, despite the many, many problems the united Europe has to face with, is open and accessible to any European country that fulfills the Copenhagen criteria, i.e. the criteria of democracy. After a short description of the reason why a European Union was created, my paper mainly is focused on the problems which have accompanied this organism since its beginnings. The challenges are innumerous, mainly focused on the domestic economic crisis, foreign policy, monetary union, security, enlargements, etc; these are some of the problems European Union has to address in order for it to continue to exist and be successful. We should never forget that, since its beginning, EU has passed through some enlargements and it has become the aspiration for many countries, including the Balkan countries. But now, it seems that this enlargement has “frozen” somehow. So, it is very important for us to know and to make clear of the perspective of the European Union: Will European Union continue to enlarge and accept other countries, or it has to stop and address the many problems within it? Where will this Union “stop”?1 The paper will be finished with some conclusions or suggestions I can give from my perspective of an individual of a “would be European” country.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n6p453