Eleni Panagiotarea, Research Fellow at Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) answered Judy Dempsey’s question from Canergie Europe on the subject: “Europe- Is the System Broken?“.
Below, you can read her answer:
It serves some to think so. They use the old cloak of national determination to push their countries toward illiberalism. They use Europe’s shortcomings to protect judicial independence in many countries, to fight off threats to media freedom, to promote social equality, to address migratory pressures—in order to build and impose their own grand vision of a fragmented and isolated Europe.
Without a doubt, the system needs fixing. Asymmetries in power and policy outcomes and a timid approach to reform have distanced European citizens from Europe both emotionally and politically. System recalibration is feasible, but it requires both boldness and courage. With public finances on the mend across Europe, it is time to rethink the fiscal space and redesign health and education spending. Better jobs and better wages can be guaranteed within a Europe that addresses low productivity, supports innovation ecosystems (including by finally moving to a digital and a capital markets union), and provides a safety net for member states to address nation-specific institutional and financial constraints.
One final word. Those who remain steeped in complacency or feel too weak to fight for Europe’s goals and values should calculate the costs of inaction. Kicking the can down the road has become the most politically risky game in town.
For more answers given on the subject, please follow the link: https://bit.ly/2VwImVI
