But the European pole’s power of attraction is waning. Even as the EU continues to struggle with economic malaise, it finds itself in the midst of a growing geopolitical maelstrom, with crises in Ukraine, Russia, North Africa, and the Middle East each presenting important challenges.
对欧洲来说，叙利亚的崩溃应该成为警世钟。叙利亚所体现的困难并不局限于长期动荡的中东，而欧洲必须立刻直面这一局面。但欧洲吸引力之极正在消失。尽管欧盟仍在与经济萎靡作斗争，但与此同时还面临着日益严重的地缘政治乱局，包括乌克兰、俄罗斯、北非和中东危机，每一场危机都是重大挑战。