Stress tests on European integration

2015 was a year of continuous crises. 2016 may follow the same dynamic. The Greek crisis has so far been averted but may come back in the coming months. The refugee crisis has cristallised enormous tensions around the issues of the welcoming of refugees in all EU countries. The pressure on the Schengen area and the difficulty to cooperate on this issue are evidence that this may generate further tensions in the months ahead. The rise of populism across Europe has led Eurosceptic discourses to become a lot more mainstream without the counterarguments being publicised with equal force. Finally, the UK referendum will take place in June 2016 and its outcome is unpredictable. All those challenges are stress tests for the EU.