Visit: ‘EU’s main challenge is its economic crisis’

“Main objective of the EU is to create a common European identity and public sphere,” says Elisabeth Alber.

An Italian researcher, Elisabeth Alber, visited the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) on Thursday to exchange views on “Trends and Developments in Federalism and Regionalism in Europe”. 

Alber highlighted the trend of restructuring of financial relationships in Europe. She said that the European Union’s (EU) member states are trying to reconstitute their rules and political cultures in order to meet the challenges. She added that even Switzerland and Germany are implementing fiscal reforms.

However, even though the EU provides structural funds to help different regions within Europe, “the main objective of the EU is to create a common European identity and public sphere,” she said.

Responding to a question, she said the main challenge that the EU is currently facing is to overcome the economic crisis.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 9^th, 2012.