What challenges will Europeans face in the coming decades?

In the second decade of the twenty-first century, European societies faced a number of critical, interconnected challenges. The growing distance in international affairs between the United States and Europe revealed differences in social values and political goals, though both struggled to deal with turmoil in the Muslim world and Islamic terrorism. A persistent economic recession had a devastating impact on the lives of millions and undermined the unity of the Eurozone. Climate change and environmental degradation exposed the dangers of industrial development and the heavy dependence on fossil fuels for energy. At the same time, the relative wealth of European societies in the global context provoked serious thinking about European identity and Europe’s humanitarian mission in the community of nations.