Is Europe flexible enough to solve its polycrisis?

https://arab.news/gmcs7

What is Europe in the 21st century? Where is it heading? Is it part of a West whose historic identity was forged at the height of the Cold War? Europe is shifting from what has been seen as a peace bloc for at least 30 years to a war footing. But does it want war, let alone is it ready for it? Western Europe has been spared major war on its territory since 1945.

An open continent is closing, putting up barriers to create “Fortress Europe.” Debates surround how much more expansion the EU can handle, with Montenegro, North Macedonia and Moldova getting ever closer to joining. But Turkiye’s accession is frozen, as too many buy into the fear of what having such a large majority-Muslim state in the EU could entail.

The far right is upending certainties. Its populist streak profits from marketing fears of untrammeled immigration. Might we see a far-right president of France in 2027? The opinion polls suggest that the next president may be the leader of the far-right National Rally, Jordan Bardella. In Britain, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has opened up a massive lead in the polls.

All this could swing European allegiances globally. Viktor Orban of Hungary is already very close to Russia. Typically, far-right parties are attracted to improving ties with Moscow while destroying the EU from within.