European integration faces challenges from rising sovereignist movements

The rise of sovereignist movements in Europe is challenging the traditional 'more Europe' integrationist approach. Analysts suggest that the return of the nation-state as the primary site of political legitimacy and democratic decision-making is creating a crisis for the European Union, which was largely built through technocratic processes.

While individual European states are often too weak to compete globally or face pressures from major powers like the United States, China, and Russia, the current political climate shows citizens turning back to national governments for security, energy, and border protection. To address this, some argue that instead of pushing for further transfers of sovereignty to Brussels, the EU must find a way to work through national governments, including those led by sovereignist forces, to achieve pragmatic cooperation on shared interests.