Fragmented post-recession Europe harder to govern
Paul Taylor, Reuters, 20.10.2015
Quotes
From Portugal to Sweden, European countries are becoming harder to govern, and economic reforms more difficult to implement, as a prolonged financial crisis bequeaths a fragmented political landscape with weaker and more divided governments. [...]
The weakness of many European governments will as a rule make it harder for them to win social acceptance for integrating large numbers of refugees, making more clashes with EU partners likely over sharing the financial and human burden.
"One year after the beginning of a new political cycle, the EU and its members are again in fire-fighting mode," said Janis Emmanouilidis, director of studies at the European Policy Centre in Brussels.
They lack the political capital to make bold reforms of the euro zone or of the bloc's asylum and immigration policies that many experts see as necessary.
Instead, the most that can be expected from the EU for the next couple of years is "reactive and protective muddling through", Emmanouilidis said.
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