Introduction

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union founded in the aftermath of World War II. The mass violence of the war left many Europeans feeling unsure of the future of the continent. With calls for cooperation increasing, new organizations sprung up across Europe in an effort to foster trust between nations and prevent war from breaking out again. These organizations formed the basis of what eventually became known as the EU in 1993. The union’s principal goals are the promotion of peace, freedom, security and justice for its citizens, as well as greater economic stability and growth within its market.

The EU is divided into four main institutions: the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Council. The European Commission is the executive body of the EU—they propose new laws and ensure these laws are properly implemented if they are approved. The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament discuss, and adopt or reject, new laws. The key difference between the two organizations is that the European Parliament represents citizens of the EU, and is made up of democratically elected representatives, while the Council of the European Union represents the governments of EU members, and is made up of national ministers appointed by their country. The European Council is made up of political leaders of EU member countries and is responsible for defining the goals and overall priorities of the EU.

The EU, as of 2022, has twenty-seven member countries. Several other countries are part of trade deals or other alliances with the EU and several other countries are considered candidates for membership.

History of the EU

• 1951: West Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands form the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). This organization requires all member countries to place their coal and steel industries under a single management, easing distrust after WWII.
• 1957: The Treaties of Rome are signed by the same six members of the ECSC, creating the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom).
• 1958: The European Parliament is created to facilitate discussion between the three European communities.
• 1960: The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is created to encourage and facilitate trade between European countries not in the EEC.
• 1965: The Merger Treaty is signed, merging the executives of the three major European communities into a single administration called “The European Communities”.
• 1992-1993: The Maastricht Treaty is signed in 1992, officially creating the European Union when it came into effect in 1993. This treaty established a common currency — the Euro — and introduced the concept of European citizenship. The EU’s single market also launched in 1993.
• 2007: The Treaty of Lisbon is signed, giving greater power to the European Parliament. They now elect the head of the EU’s Commission and are responsible for establishing the EU’s budget.
• 2016: The UK votes to leave the EU and they officially leave the alliance in 2020.

Successes

1. Post-WWII: After WWII, Europe was fractured. Western European countries sought to establish and strengthen relationships with each other. The EU, in its earliest forms, accomplished its difficult goal of reconciliation and unity between member nations through various trade deals and intergovernmental organizations. To this day, no two EU member nations have ever been engaged in an armed conflict against one another.
2. Economic Cooperation: The EU is the world’s largest single market. The vast majority of trade barriers between EU member states have been removed, allowing for the free movement of goods, services, capital and people across the organization’s borders. This allows for greater economic competition and promotes economic growth. However, it can be challenging to balance competing economic interests among member states, especially when it comes to monetary policy. Disputes occur when some nations are experiencing inflation and others are experiencing sluggish economic growth, which traditionally require different monetary responses.
3. Unified European Identity: The EU not only creates a forum discussion, it unifies the continent politically and economically. All citizens of member nations of the EU are considered EU citizens, uniting people from across the continent under a set of rights, which guarantee them equal treatment no matter which EU state they are in. EU citizens’ rights are guaranteed in their Charter of Fundamental Rights and include a wide range of privacy, employment, consumer and human rights, as well as the right to vote in European Parliament elections.
4. Activism: The EU has taken a staunch stance against injustice and inequality, both within their borders and beyond. The EU provides aid for millions across the globe, and collectively, the union and its member countries are the largest donor of humanitarian aid in the world. The EU has several programs providing food, shelter, water, healthcare and other forms of stability for more than eighty countries. The EU won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012.

Failures

1. Democratic Legitimacy: While EU citizens vote in EU Parliament elections, most EU representatives are not democratically elected. In addition, voter turnout for EU Parliament elections has been decreasing since the Parliament was created and in 2019, only 50.66% of eligible EU voters participated. Many still believe that it fails to represent the average EU citizen and that it is not being held accountable for its decisions.
2. Yugoslav Wars: With the collapse of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, the EU was faced with its first major crisis since the end of the Cold War. The early peace negotiations organized by the EU were mismanaged and unorganized, and the EU failed to end the fighting or find a solution to the conflict. This was largely due to continual disagreement among member states, which also led to delays in military and humanitarian aid. The lack of a unified policy ultimately exacerbated the wars, leading to longer conflict, a larger death toll, and greater economic and material damages.
3. Right-wing Nationalism: In recent years right-wing parties have gained influence across Europe. A central focus of many of these parties is the maintenance of their state identity and interests, or nationalism. International organizations, like the EU, often do not align with countries’ national interests. Euroscepticism, or political opposition to the EU, has increased in recent years in countries such as France, Poland and Hungary. Nationalism was also a central reason for the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the EU. These sentiments threaten the credibility and stability of the union, and by failing to address them, the EU, and its place in Europe is weakened.
4. Covid-19: The health policy of the EU in response to the global Covid-19 pandemic was somewhat successful in its economic response, but largely a failure in terms of healthcare — specifically their vaccine rollout. Vaccine distribution across the EU was slow and poorly coordinated. This led to an increased death toll and greater economic loss.

The EU and the United States

The European Union and the United States have a close relationship defined by peace and cooperation. Relations between the two are further strengthened by the existence of NATO, which includes many of the same members of the EU, and the United States. The U.S. and the EU are the largest economic and military powers in the world, dominating trade and leading many global diplomatic and political discussions. What the EU does therefore greatly impacts the United States—and vice versa. In order to facilitate this relationship, members of the EU Parliament and the U.S. House of Representatives meet biannually to discuss a wide range of topics from foreign affairs to cyber security. This is known as the Transatlantic Legislators Dialogue, and it allows both delegations to establish a united statement and policy on certain issues.

The Future of the EU

As the Ukraine War continues, the EU enters a new challenge. The war has become something for the EU to rally against, and has patched up some of the divides created by growing Euroscepticism across the continent. However, the EU’s response has still been lacking. Because all EU decisions must be agreed upon by all members, and some nations—notably Hungary—remain staunchly against stricter sanctions for Russia, the EU’s overall economic response has been weak.

Beyond the war in Ukraine, the EU will have to face many additional challenges in the coming years. With threats to leave by member nations like Hungary, the EU may see more countries depart like the UK. The EU will also be tasked with addressing issues of immigration, inflation, climate change and healthcare. The EU’s response to these concerns as well as the Ukraine War will define their future status.