Citizens of
modern-day Europe value peace above all. European integration began after the end of World II in
1945. That conflict, and its predecessor, World War I (1914€“1918), were terribly destructive.
Although the fighting spanned the globe, no continent suffered as much human or material
destruction as Europe. After the carnage had ended in 1945, sagacious European states-men
decided that future wars could be best prevented by economic integration. If the
economiesespecially those of France and Germanywere intertwined, peace might be
attainable.
European citizens value multilateralism. They nations of Europe
work in concert to solve common problems, such as that of immigration. Each member nation
accepts a quota of immigrants. They also have a common foreign policy: several agreed to the
Iran nuclear deal of 2015.
Freedom and democracy are important values. Many
Europeans lived under Fascist and/or Communist regimes in the twentieth century. Today, they
enjoy suffrage, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press. In addition, freedom of
movement is valued by European citizens.
Most Europeans also believe their
governments have a responsibility to provide a social safety net. Because of this expectation,
Europeans typically receive generous jobless benefits and other government-provided largess.
The European Union and its people face daunting challenges, however. These
include Brexit, and the unwillingness of Hungary and Poland to follow EU rules.
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