1. Introduction

In the introduction, we argue that the 2008–2009 global financial crisis has morphed into a Eurozone crisis since 2010, a migration crisis since 2015 and the political convulsions that culminated in 2016 with Brexit. The manifold crises of the social and economic order of Europe – and the political elites clustered at their apex – will therefore be at the heart of this book. As these obstacles are all deeply intertwined, potential solutions need to be based on a comprehensive approach. Was the creation of the Euro the crucial factor that provoked the EU’s perils? Or is it simply reflective of deeper institutional fault lines, economic issues and social and politics ills? In seeking to approach the European crisis as an integrated whole, this book draws on reflection vital for pursuing the ‘right’ remedies.