In a session led by lecturer and ICEE director Montserrat Nebrera, entitled “Europe: Dysfunctions and Challenges of a Necessary Union”, the introduction framed the debate around the need to rethink Europe’s role, its unresolved issues and the limitations of belonging to the European Union.
A Union with structural limitations
During his address, Ferrer explained that the European Union “is highly complex, despite the single market” and that “from a legal perspective, there are differences between countries”. In this regard, he stressed that the EU “does not have a solid or strong political structure”, because many powers “remain in the hands of the member states”, and “within the EU, everything must always be agreed upon”, which leads to “bureaucracy and slow decision-making”. “We are an economic giant, but a dwarf in terms of politics and security,” he added.
The honorary president of the Catalan Council of the European Movement also defended the founding values of the European project, such as “peace, freedom, solidarity and transparency”, as well as the welfare state – including education, healthcare and pensions – which he described as “a hallmark that must be preserved”.
Global challenges in a shifting context
As for challenges, Ferrer focused on the current geopolitical context. He recalled that the pandemic “put the EU and the world in front of a mirror” and revealed external dependence on essential products such as masks, medicines and microchips, calling into question the limits of globalisation.
He also pointed to limitations in the field of defence, particularly in relation to the war in Ukraine, warning that Europe “does not have the military capacity to face a possible invasion”, in an increasingly unstable international context.
In economic and social terms, Ferrer cautioned against the influence of major tech corporations and growing inequality. “We are seeing the emergence of a society where the rich are becoming richer, the middle class is vanishing and the working class is increasingly impoverished,” a situation that, he noted, may favour the rise of populism.
Other challenges highlighted include energy security – with the need to diversify suppliers and reconsider sources such as nuclear energy – and future migration flows linked to demographic, climate and geopolitical factors.
A necessary Europe
Lastly, Ferrer defended the need to bolster the European project: “The EU, if it did not exist, would have to be created,” especially in a global context dominated by powers such as China, India and the United States, where European states on their own have less influence.
After the conference, held in the University’s Aula Magna, Montserrat Nebrera encouraged those present to join the debate and reflect on the key challenges of the European project.
In addition to conducting high-level research on the competences of the European Union, the Carlemany Institute for European Studies also promotes outreach on the main guiding principles and challenges of the Union, a mission of great relevance, especially in today’s complex geopolitical context.
