2019 European elections: The moment of truth for Europe and a window of opportunity for Slovenia

Painful challenges and discrete achievements

Historians may remember recent years as the very moment when a member state left the European Union for the first time in history. The bloc's unity is vacillating after having dealt from day to day with existential crises, from the rise of populism to the 2015-16 migration crisis, let alone the heated debate on the rule of law across Europe. Mistrust remains rampant. According to a 2018 Eurobarometer survey, 48 % of Europeans claim not to trust the EU, including 56 % of Slovenes. The EU's eastern and south-eastern neighbourhood is prone to instability.

The current turmoil overshadows several good news stories on the economic side. The European sovereign debt crisis is now behind the bloc, with even Greece showing signs of solid recovery. Launched in 2014, the "Investment Plan for Europe" triggered more than EUR 315...

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