John Theodore Boeken

Amidst a crisis marked by populism, nativism, and economic challenges, the book explores the future of the European Union by advocating for reform over revolution. It delves into the EU's failures and potential lessons to be learned from recent turmoil. Unique insights are gathered through interviews with politicians, economists, and citizens, contributing significantly to ongoing discussions about the EU and the Eurozone's direction. The narrative emphasizes the importance of addressing the concerns of disillusioned populations while seeking constructive change.

This book explores the political and economic issues currently challenging EU member states affecting both the core Eurozone and non-core states. It analyses and explains how its own economic, and political, relationships have been critically influenced by fierce competition from its rivals in other major global economies, as well as by the systemic weaknesses in the economic and financial model it created. The book provides insight into both the underlying and more immediate economic and social challenges created by: its post-2007 enlargement to 28 countries - excluding the Balkan remnants of former Yugoslavia; the nature of the regulatory regime centralized in Brussels, and the host of issues and critiques this fosters; its ‘open borders’ policy and precious guiding principle, crystallized in the Schengen agreement; security weaknesses exacerbated by increasing volumes of migration; and the ongoing debt crises as the greatest existential challenge to the EU project. Featuring interviews with high profile key players from inside and outside Europe the book will examine new and underlying stresses - political and economic - to guide a greater understanding of the EU plan.