“….The EU is likely entering a challenging period of bureaucratic stagnation and painful public debate. Macron’s public spat with populist leadership in Italy is emblematic of this Sturm und Drang struggle in Europe. Progressive, liberal EU-oriented leadership will be forced to reckon with underlying symptoms of the populist wave. Spurred by both economic discontent and a strong desire for ‘tradition’ (which is often simply xenophobiain its myriad manifestations), the populist movements are almost universally challenging the value and direction of the EU.” (weiter hier)