This is the sixth lesson of the macro topic, “The challenges of the European Union,” in the first module of EUPress Teacher Training.
The objective of this lesson, led by Pietro Sala, is to discuss the challenge of disintegration and nationalism faced by the European Union.
Europe’s decades-long project of integration is under renewed pressure from two interconnected challenges: the revival of nationalist politics and the erosion of the rule of law in some member states. Brexit has already shown that European integration is reversible, and rising populism is testing the Union’s founding principles from within.
Nationalism: The resurgence of “Take Back Control”
Nationalism — the belief that a nation’s sovereignty and identity should take precedence over all external commitments — has regained visibility across Europe. The Brexit referendum in 2016 symbolised this trend, with the United Kingdom voting to leave the EU under the slogan “take back control”. The vote split the UK across generational, regional, and educational lines — and exposed a deep mistrust between citizens and political institutions.
Critically, the Brexit process activated Article 50 of the EU treaties for the first time, proving that withdrawal is a real, if complex, option. Yet, while some observers feared a domino effect, no other member state has followed — in part because the pandemic soon pushed European cooperation to the foreground once again.
Backsliding on democracy: The rule of law under threat
Alongside nationalism, a subtler but more dangerous trend has been unfolding: democratic backsliding in countries like Hungary and Poland. Since around 2010, both governments have adopted reforms that undermine the independence of courts, media pluralism, and civil society — hallmarks of what Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán calls “illiberal democracy”.
Yet, as the lesson starkly notes: “Democracy is either liberal or it’s not democracy”. The EU’s main tool for addressing such violations — Article 7, which allows sanctions on member states in breach of EU values — is effectively blocked by the countries protecting each other.
Conditionality on EU funds: A new lever
Facing this impasse, the EU has recently introduced rule of law conditionality on the use of its financial resources, especially those from the NextGenerationEU recovery plan. This means EU funds may be suspended if a country undermines judicial independence or other key values.
This mechanism reflects a growing realisation in Brussels and across European capitals: protecting democracy at the national level now requires stronger democratic** legitimacy and capacity for action at the EU level** — especially in the face of populist narratives promising a return to “true” sovereignty.
Federalism vs nationalism: The return of an old divide
The latest clash of visions recalls the ideological split famously framed in the Ventotene Manifesto (1941): between those who look to supranational solutions for lasting peace and progress (federalists) and those who see national sovereignty as the rightful boundary of political authority (nationalists).
As today’s Europe grapples with geopolitical upheaval, economic transition, and cultural pluralism, this divide is once again defining political debates — both in Brussels and in national elections across the continent.
The future of the European Union may well depend on its ability not only to weather these internal storms, but also to offer a credible alternative to the simplistic slogans of nationalist backlash — proving that shared sovereignty, grounded in democratic values, remains the best response to a globalised world.
