Unchanged and unanswered challenges ahead of stormy period

Abstract

This paper focuses on key external and internal challenges the European integration is facing. Three factors have to get particular attention, which are likely to influence the EU’s developments in the next and most probably crucial period of the integration.

Accelerated globalisation with increasingly contradictory developments and, more importantly, accompanied by highly controversial and dangerous national reactions (policy measures) does not exclude serious conflicts and collisions in the next period. Even the best informed and experienced strategic analysts, policy-makers and decision-takers are unlikely to be prepared to successfully face the „triad” of challenges: complexity, interdependence and interdisciplinarity. In other words, global and European developments reveal a highly complex structure, the understanding and answering of which requires in-depth professional knowledge and socio-psychological empathy. Due to the rapidly increasing interdependence, substantially accelerated after the global crisis of 2008 and involving not only trade but almost all areas of economic activities (services, capital flows, monetary system) each „national” decision generates regional and/or global consequences, with repercussion on the decision-makers. Finally, the impact of political decisions does not remain within the direct political framework, but has economic, social, institutional, regional, psychological consequences as well.