In 2015, the European Union expects a number of serious challenges that may threaten the very existence of the union. We are talking about upcoming elections in three countries: the UK, Greece and Poland, "The National Interest" says.
In particular, the publication has expressed concern that in the parliamentary elections in Greece, which will be held on January 25, the party SYRIZA, led by Alexis Tsipras, could win a victory. SYRIZA is a staunch opponent of austerity measures, which, as noted by the magazine, have caused the country's economy much more damage than good.
Previously, Washington Post correspondent Matt O'Brien said that if SYRIZA wins, Greece perhaps would be playing peepers with Germany at very high rates. "It's no secret that hardworking Germany is tired of paying the debts of its profligate Mediterranean partners," RIA Novosti quotes the magazine article.
According to National Interest, the second major challenge is the forthcoming general election in the UK in May, which "will be a verdict on the Conservative government of David Cameron." As the magazine notes, despite the decline in popularity of current British Prime Minister David Cameron, he has every chance of winning. However, his victory bodes bad news for the EU: Cameron promised to his Euro-skeptic voters to hold a referendum on the UK leaving the union. According to National Interest, the political and economic consequences of a "gap" of this kind could call into question the very existence of the EU.
Recall that on Sunday, January 4, the British prime minister, speaking lmon BBC television and radio, said that he would seek to hold a referendum quickly on membership of the country in the European Union. "A referendum must be held before the end of 2017. If we manage to do it before, I'd be happy. The sooner I will achieve results in the obligation to hold a referendum and talks (about the new format of the EU), the better," Cameron said.
Previously, he made a promise that if he wins for the Conservative Party in the May general election in the UK in 2017, that a referendum would be held on the future of the United Kingdom staying in the EU. The British Prime Minister pointed out that if other EU countries agree to his proposed reform of the community, they will be campaigning for the preservation of the kingdom as a part of this association. If the proposals are rejected, London may consider ruling itself out of the EU.
The third important factor threatening the existence of the European Union, the magazine writes, are the parliamentary elections in Poland to be held in October this year. The publication stresses that things are not going well in the party of the current president of the European Council, Donald Tusk. Thus, there is every reason to believe that the populist party of former Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who, in particular, is known for his criticism of Angela Merkel, will win. According to National Interest, his victory clearly does not contribute to "defusing tensions" in the EU during such a turbulent year for the association.
Neither does Iceland's refusal to join the organization contribute to the strengthening of the European Union. Recently these plans were announced by the Icelandic authorities on the radio station Bylgjan. Prime Minister David Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson drew attention to the fact that the application, which was officially filed in 2009, was withdrawn at the beginning of this year. According to the publication in mbl.is, Gunnlaugsson considers all the agreements that have been reached as obsolete.
Iceland's application to join the European Union was filed in July 2009, when it was in dire economic straits. The idea was that accession could provide greater stability to the economy and prevent crises like the 2008 crisis.
Accession negotiations started in 2010, but in 2013 the new government of Iceland, formed by a center-right coalition, has decided to suspend negotiations with Brussels on joining EU and bring this issue to a referendum. Tensions between the EU and Iceland were caused by the EU policy on fishing, namely fishing quotas, which did not suit Icelandic authorities.
In February last year the country's parliament supported the initiative of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Gunnar Svensson Braga, on the final rejection of accession to the European Union. At the same time, it was decided to abandon the referendum on European integration.
