ANNUAL REPORT

28
ATLANTIC COUNCIL 2015 ANNUAL REPORT
FUTURE EUROPE INITIATIVE 29
EUROPE’S TEST
Terror attacks, migrant
waves, integration
woes—a continent’s
choice: lead or fall behind
FUTURE EUROPE
INITIATIVE
As new challenges rattle the international system,
Europe has had to reconcile its role as a global
leader with the urgency of profound crises at,
and within, its own borders—the most dramatic
of which were the terrorist attacks in Paris and
Brussels and the arrival of more than a million
refugees.
Russian aggression from the East and instability across the Middle East and North Africa
have introduced a new era of uncertainty. The continent simultaneously faces growing
internal challenges, from an ongoing Eurozone crisis and persistently lagging economy, to
an influx of asylum-seeking refugees, to citizens increasingly alienated from established
political leaders.
These demands diminish Europe’s ability to lead, and the US-European partnership—a
cornerstone of global democracy and stability—risks slipping adrift. America and its
closest ally must use this moment to find a way to lead together.
A man attends a memorial gathering near the old stock exchange in Brussels following
the terrorist attacks of March 22, 2016 on the Brussels airport and Maalbeek metro station.
(Photo by REUTERS/Christian Hartmann.)
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