Foreword

Europe is becoming increasingly similar to the late Habsburg Empire, a powerful example of fragmentation and tendencies towards disintegration arising in multinational, multi-linguistic, and multi-ethnic integrated economic entities. To understand why and what the consequences may be, this year’s report by the European Economic Advisory Group (EEAG) at CESifo looks inside EU member states, where much besides European integration has been happening, and outside Europe, where powerful economic and geopolitical challenges have shaken many European countries and sectors.