More Integration as a Solution to the EU’s Problems

In this thesis the author explores the state of the European Union through a novel Complex Adaptive Systems approach. The focus is placed on the EU’s problems and the way how the union has been addressing some of the most recent challenges, namely: eurozone crisis (2008-2015), migration crisis (2015), Covid-19 pandemic (2020), as well relating economic and security questions. Considering how difficult it has been for the EU to handle these the author enquiries whether further integration at the supranational level of the EU stakeholders (i.e. governments of member states, the EU institutions, the firm & interest groups, the public, etc.) could help solve some of these problems. Three scenarios are being considered: i) partial disintegration ii) status quo ii) additional integration. From the analysis presented the most viable scenario for the EU to pursue is status quo in the short term with incremental integration steps in the medium/long run; disintegration is no longer a viable option. On the basis of EU CAS’s model, the EU is highly unlikely to fall apart, the EU CAS stakeholders, have invested too much in building the EU project. It is expected that the EU will continue reforming and adapting to the existing and anticipated challenges through supranational means provided these will be shared by the majority of the stakeholders and their resolution may not be attainable to the satisfactory level at the national level.