Since the economic recession of 2008, the EU has been hit by a series of crises, most recently the UK’s decision to leave the union following the Brexit referendum. In light of this, questions have been raised about the need to reform the whole model of European integration, with the aim of making the union more flexible and more accountable.
In this book, Richard Youngs proposes an alternative vision of European cooperation and shows how the EU must reinvent itself if it is to survive. He argues that citizens should play a greater role in European decisionmaking, that there should be radically more flexibility in the process of integration, and that Europe needs to take a new, more coherent, approach to questions of defense and security. In proposing this model for a “reset” version of Europe, Youngs reinvigorates the debate around the future of Europe and puts forward a new agenda for the future of the EU.