00:00Do you think the European Union is worth it, or should we end it?
00:06Many people feel a strong disconnect with the EU, while others praise its achievements.
00:12Everything considered, is its existence good or bad for Europeans?
00:19Since it looks like the UK is leaving the EU, we'll mostly treat it as if it's no longer part of the club.
00:25The European Union, combining its 27 member countries, has a population of about 450 million people,
00:32making it the third most populous sort of country in the world.
00:36It's the world's second largest economy by GDP, and has the biggest single market in the world.
00:42But originally, the creation of the European Union was all about one thing. Peace.
00:49Europeans are really good at war, so they were embroiled in bloody conflicts for basically all their history.
00:56A century-long rivalry between Germany and France alone cost millions of lives,
01:01and ran so deeply that Germans invented their own word for it, Erbfeinschaft.
01:06After the Second World War, Europeans decided they wanted lasting peace that was not based on a balance of military power.
01:13Instead, the economies, politics and peoples of Europe should become so closely interconnected
01:20that war would become both impractical and unthinkable.
01:24The plan worked. Between EU members, we've had over 70 years of peace.
01:30Okay, peace is great and all, but what are the European Union's achievements and problems?
01:36Today, EU citizens benefit from many individual freedoms.
01:40EU treaties and regulations ensure easy travel, cheap telecommunications,
01:45a great variety of goods and services, as well as very strong health and safety standards.
01:50European institutions are not afraid to pick a fight with companies such as Microsoft,
01:55Apple or Facebook about fair competition, tax evasion or data protection.
02:00Through the EU science programs, the European countries became a collaborative engine
02:05that serves as a hub of science in the wider world.
02:07Unrestricted travel and the right to work anywhere makes it easy to apply for funds
02:13and set up international teams of experts with the best equipment.
02:17In turn, the EU became the world leader in terms of its global share of science researchers
02:22and produces more than 25% of the world's research output with only 5% of its population.
02:28But many citizens feel distrust towards the EU.
02:33Brussels seems far away and untransparent, technocratic and difficult to understand.
02:40It doesn't help that the EU is terrible at outreach and explaining what it actually does.
02:46This disconnect has also led to an ever-shrinking voter turnout over the decades.
02:51More transparency and accountability are desperately needed
02:55if the EU institutions want the trust of their citizens.
02:58Currently, the EU is still shaken by the refugee crisis of 2015.
03:03Some countries have accepted far greater numbers of asylum seekers than others
03:08while the border countries are overwhelmed and feel left alone.
03:12Other countries are shocked by the initially unregulated mass immigration
03:16and closed their borders, effectively shutting down the largest route into Europe.
03:21The EU's wealth and freedom make it an attractive destination and this is unlikely to change.
03:28The population is split on how to react to that.
03:32Some argue that Europe let in too many immigrants with a different culture
03:36without strictly demanding integration, while others argue that immigration is not the problem
03:41but that racism and discrimination of immigrants is preventing integration.
03:45To strike a balance between helping refugees, turning illegal immigrants away
03:50and successfully integrating the ones that stay
03:53remains one of the most difficult and controversial challenges of the Union.
03:57Immigration aside, many more challenges lie in the future, like defence.
04:02Traditionally, European countries have relied strongly on the protection of the US through NATO.
04:08But in the current political climate, Europe has to ask itself
04:12if it really wants to depend on the United States for its safety.
04:15If combined today, the militaries of EU members could form an effective defensive force
04:20and be the third largest military in the world.
04:22That could save a lot of money, safeguard European borders
04:26and enhance cultural understanding with soldiers from 27 different countries serving one common purpose.
04:33What about money? Well, it's complicated.
04:38The EU created the largest single market in the world.
04:42Inside it, you can trade border and customs free.
04:45Countries that entered it got a massive boost to their economies.
04:48Even between neighbours, trade increased by up to 500%
04:53and there was a steady creation of new jobs.
04:56Research has suggested that joining the EU has left most new members
05:00with an average of a 12% higher GDP than if they had remained outside.
05:05And for those regions with weaker economies and poor infrastructure,
05:09EU institutions provide billions of euros every year
05:12helping economic investment, infrastructure and social development.
05:17On the negative side, the EU tries to hold together countries
05:21with vastly different economies and laws regarding labour, taxes and social security.
05:26The cost of one hour of work in an EU country ranges from 4 euros an hour to 40 euros an hour.
05:34Some countries have large industries and strong exports
05:37while others focus on services, tourism or natural resources.
05:41On top of this, the euro is the common currency of some but not all of these countries.
05:47As the Greek crisis shows, this can be a recipe for disaster.
05:52You cannot unify vastly different economies under one currency
05:57but leave their economic policies separate.
06:00So, should all EU countries unite under the common currency or not?
06:05Should the weakest links be thrown out of the euro
06:07or should countries be made to adopt common policies on taxes, healthcare and social security?
06:13It's a question that's been brewing for years and is nowhere near a solution.
06:18So, everything briefly considered, is the European Union worth it?
06:24Here is our answer.
06:26The EU is very flawed and still needs a lot of work.
06:30But it's fair to say that the European Union makes Europeans powerful in the world.
06:34Put together, we lead in science, are one of the strongest economic powers
06:39and could have one of the strongest militaries in the world.
06:42But more importantly, the EU gives us peace, security and a sense of shared identity.
06:48And something we all crave in these turbulent times – stability.
06:52If we want to protect the values we're so proud of,
06:55a strong European Union is the best way to make sure our voice is heard in the world.
07:00Alone, as small states, we'll hardly stand a chance in a world of shifting superpowers.
07:09What do you think about the EU and its future?
07:12In recent years, the discussion about political topics has become super toxic with sad real-world consequences.
07:18Let's not do that.
07:20If you don't agree with this video, you're not our enemy, you just have a different opinion and that's fine.
07:24We're all in the same boat after all, so let's have a fact-based discussion about our future.
