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Ten Commandments to Overcome the EU’s Many Crises

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Ten Commandments to Overcome the EU’s Many Crises

EUobserver,

5 min read
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To survive, the EU must become more effective and democratic.

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Recommendation

The rise of Euroskeptic parties across Europe reflects crisis of faith: Citizens feel increasingly alienated from the EU bureaucracy – long accused of operating with a “democratic deficit” – and doubtful about the union’s ability to ensure security and promote economic prosperity more than any single member state could on its own. But Uffe Ostergard of the Copenhagen Business School argues that the EU can fix its legitimacy crisis through a series of reforms. getAbstract recommends his “Ten Commandments to democratize the EU” to European policy makers.

Summary

Three major crises have undermined Europeans’ trust in the European Union and its institutions: the 2008 financial crisis, the refugee crisis, and Brexit. To remain viable, the EU must undertake a series of reforms in the following ten areas:

  1. The EU should close tax havens and introduce an EU-wide tax for financial transactions and company profits. It should democratize the monetary union and refocus on growth, employment and economic development.
  2. The EU should cut subsidies to farmers and instead invest more in “green growth,” especially...

About the Author

Uffe Ostergard is a professor emeritus at Copenhagen Business School and the author of What Next, EU?

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