Europe's challenging unity project turns 74

By Selen Valente Rasquinho, Ata Ufuk Seker and Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - Since its inception on May 9, 1950, amid the ruins of World War II, the European Union has weathered numerous existential crises and is now preparing to celebrate its 74th birthday.

From providing steadfast support to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia to crafting a unified response to escalating tensions in the Middle East, the EU confronts a myriad of trials, spanning diverse domains such as its expansion, sustainable response to migration, industrial strengthening, and improving competitiveness.

- Foundations, expansions

The EU's roots can be traced back to the 1950 Schuman Plan, which aimed at forging a united Europe through shared coal and steel production between France and Germany.

This initiative led to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951, later evolving into the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1957, a milestone in continental economic integration.

Since the beginning, the EU has expanded seven times, shaping its structure through various agreements. Notably, the Schengen Agreement in 1985 abolished border controls among signatories, followed by the accession of Spain and Portugal in 1986.

The Maastricht Treaty in 1993 solidified the EU's structure and the Copenhagen Summit the same year established membership criteria.

With the entry of Austria, Finland, and Sweden in 1995, the EU expanded to 15 members.

In 2004, the EU experienced its largest expansion to date with 10 new members, followed by Bulgaria and Romania in 2007, and Croatia in 2013, bringing the total to 28.

In 1999, the common currency "euro" was adopted and entered circulation in 12 countries in 2002. Currently used in 20 EU countries, the euro is the second strongest currency in the world.

- Economic challenges, migration crises, terror attacks, Brexit

The global financial crisis of 2008 hit the EU countries hard, resulting in public debt, loss of competitiveness, and unemployment. The Eurozone economy shrunk by 4.1% in 2009, its largest contraction ever.

The subsequent debt crisis in Greece in 2010 spread to other Eurozone countries, leading to mass protests due to strict austerity measures.

The Syrian civil war, which broke out in 2011, brought a massive influx of migrants to Europe, making the migration crisis one of its top priorities.

Disagreements on migrant distribution and asylum management persisted, peaking in 2015-2016.

Meanwhile, the rise of Daesh/ISIS amid the Syrian conflict led to terrorist attacks in European capitals.

Amid these developments in 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU, officially exiting on Jan. 31, 2020, after a tumultuous four-year period.

- Recent challenges: War in Ukraine

In February 2022, Russia's invasion of Ukraine brought war back to Europe after nearly 80 years, posing one of the EU's toughest challenges since its inception.

The EU has supported Ukraine with military and financial aid, granting it the candidate status for EU membership on June 24, 2022.

Currently, the EU focuses on ensuring long-term support for Ukraine, strengthening the European defense industry, and preparing for further escalations.

- Forgotten scandal: Corruption in European Parliament

In 2023, the EU faced a corruption scandal in the European Parliament (EP), undermining its reputation as a "home of democracy."

The corruption, bribery, and money laundering investigation, in which Greek MEP Eva Kaili, then vice-president of the EP, was detained by Belgian police in Brussels, soon grew with the addition of new names linked to the EP.

While initially causing significant uproar, the issue soon faded from the EU's agenda.

- Migration knot, new rules

The issue of combating irregular migration took a backseat due to the COVID-19 pandemic and later the war in Ukraine.

However, with the easing of the pandemic's effects and a resurgence of migration, the EU refocused on migration, reaching an agreement on new migration and asylum rules in April.

The agreement strengthens the EU's external borders, accelerates asylum application processing, and increases cooperation with source countries.

The agreement must first be adopted by the EU Council, and all member states must adopt the agreement into national law within two years before it can be implemented.

- Struggle to formulate joint response to Israel's brutal war on Gaza

The EU struggled to formulate a joint response to Israel's brutal war on Gaza starting on Oct. 7, 2023.

Leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, emphasized Israel's "right to self-defense," sparking criticism within the bloc.

EU leaders could only call for a "humanitarian cease-fire" after the events of Oct. 7.

- Expansion target year: 2030

The EU aims to admit new members by 2030, with negotiations underway with Ukraine, Moldova, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Georgia, meanwhile, has been granted "candidate" status.

Recent summits saw the EU leaders agree on accelerating accession processes for all Western Balkan countries.

The current EU candidate countries are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Georgia, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine, and Türkiye.

- Europe heads to polls

Approximately 400 million voters across 27 EU member countries will go to the polls in European Parliament elections from June 6 to 9.

Europeans, facing economic difficulties and concerns about living standards, are likely to prioritize economic issues in the elections as far-right parties are expected to increase their number of seats in the EP.

However, topics such as the war in Ukraine, migration, and climate change will also influence voting decisions.

*Writing by Muhammed Yasin Gungor in Istanbul