With Belgian Terrorist Attacks, Strains on a Battered Europe Grow

After World War II ended, the nations of Europe were determined to cooperate on making their continent a model of peace and civilization. Terrorist attacks waged by its own citizens as well as millions of refugees from the Middle East, an economy struggling with debt threaten, worries about trade and jobs threaten that model. “A union that has for decades been seen around the world as a beacon for civilization … is being ridiculed both at home and abroad for being weak, divided and potentially nearing a breakup” and “add to a palpable sense that Europe can’t cope with its many overlapping crises,” writes Griff Witte, London bureau chief with the Washington Post. Europeans must work on the government they want, notes French Prime Minister Manuel Valls. The European Union cannot cower, separate or rely on extreme responses. Instead, the continent must strengthen its system and prepare for the stresses ahead. – YaleGlobal