Europe is still coming to terms with the shocking result of Britain’s European Union referendum and seems unsure how to react to it. There is no doubt, however, that the referendum vote should serve as a wake-up call for the EU which has to change if it wants to survive.

It is no exaggeration to say that the EU is today facing its greatest challenge ever in its 58-year history. Populist parties of the Right and Left, most of them hostile to the European project, are springing up across the bloc, and citizens are feeling increasingly detached from the EU as it struggles to tackle the most pressing challenges facing Europe, such as migration and youth unemployment.

The EU needs to do a number of things in order to reconnect with its citizens and make the populist parties less appealing. It must concentrate on the important things that matter to people’s everyday lives. Contrary to what the populists say, the vast majority of EU citizens want the bloc to work together to address Europe’s major challenges. The most recent Eurobarometer, which measures public opinion in the EU, makes this amply clear.

The survey shows that Europeans feel EU action is largely insufficient in most of the areas suggested to them, and that a massive majority of citizens would like the EU to intervene more than at present in these sectors. On migration, 74 per cent would like to see the EU take more action; on the protection of external borders, 71 per cent; on the fight against unemployment, 77 per cent; on the fight against tax fraud, 75 per cent; on the fight against terrorism, 82 per cent; on the promotion of democracy and peace in the world, 68 per cent; and on environmental protection, 67 per cent. It is these areas that the EU should be focusing on, and not on unnecessary rules and directives that make people’s lives more difficult.

The EU must also change the way it functions. Many Europeans feel disconnected from the bloc’s institutions like the European Commission and Parliament. Some profound thinking is needed to make these more accountable to Europe’s citizens and more relevant to people’s lives. European Commission president Jean Claude Juncker needs to radically overhaul the way Brussels operates. If he feels he is not the right person for such change perhaps he should consider stepping down.

Crucially, the EU must come across as being less elitist and more concerned about the lives of ordinary people. The social dimension of the EU needs to be strengthened and emphasised. We need a Europe that is not only a Europe of business but also a Europe of citizens. What we also need is a complete change in the EU’s communication strategy, which up to now has been abysmal. Despite the crisis Europe is passing through there is no doubt at all that the EU has been an incredible success story, yet the bureaucrats in Brussels have been unable to get this message across. This must change: what is needed is a simple, direct and understandable communication in everyday language.

It is also very important for EU Member States to refrain from attacking the bloc and making it a scapegoat for their own failings. The result of the UK referendum shows just how dangerous and irresponsible such an attitude is. The EU has been an incredible force for good, both in Europe and the world, and should not be allowed to fall apart. This, however, depends on the Member States working together in essential areas like job creation and migration and having the courage to change the bloc.

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