European Futures: Alternative Scenarios for 2020This book saves you time, but it does not save you effort. It saves you time because it surveys many other scenarios excersises undertaken by governments, supranational and intergovernmental organisations, interest groups and think tanks, and gives you an overview of what Europe could look like in twenty years' time. But it does not save you effort because it makes you think. It makes you think because all the scenarios it offers are provocative. Like them or loathe them, they will cause you to sit up and think. Superstate Europ, where the EU concentrates on the West of Europe, a defended market forging ahead economically and social forces keeping the poor at the gates? Flexible Europe, open to all Eastern Europe and North Africa as well, with three groups of countries travelling 'flexibly' at different speeds towards increasingly distant goals? Europe adrift, where the Treaty of Nice is the last joint effort, and after that5 the spectre of disintegration? Federal Europe, where a constitution fixes who does what and the best (or worst) is realised? Are these the futures we want? If so, which, and why? |
Common terms and phrases
already alternative scenarios American andrew duff Article Asia Balkans become candidate countries cent centralised challenge Charter of Fundamental China citizens civil society cohesion communities competence competition Constitution core Council of Europe Court of Justice currency defence democracy democratic driving forces Eastern Europe economic and social elected emerging enlargement especially euro euro-zone Europe's European Central Bank European Commission European Council European integration European Parliament European Union Federal Trust federal union foreign and security France Fundamental Rights future of Europe global globalisation growth human rights immigration institutions investment labour market liberalisation membership Michael Emerson military Nato negotiations NGOs organised pan-European participation partnership political parties President reaction reform regional responsible role Russia sector security policy single market subsidiarity Superstate Europa supranational sustainable development taxation trade traditional transnational Treaty Treaty of Amsterdam Treaty of Nice Turkey Ukraine