Summary

It is no secret that the past few years have been difficult for the EU, and the outlook won’t be getting any better in 2019. On the contrary, the bloc’s political crisis seems poised to deepen further. Owing to a combination of social, economic, and political factors, the four main powers in the EU are no longer capable or willing to keep the bloc united and to drive it toward a common future. This theme will surely be reflected in upcoming elections for the European Parliament in May; but there will surely be more shocks to come in 2019, which will harm the Union’s legitimacy in the eyes of Europeans and hinder the EU’s international role and perhaps even threaten its long-term tenure.