Peace and order reign in the EU, but seldom near it

PRESS A EUROCRATEUEUEU hard enough about the ’s many imperfections, and sooner or later you hear a familiar defence. Never mind about coddled French farmers or Polish populists tearing up the rules: the crucial thing about the European project is that it has delivered . (The emphasis on this word is emotional; a small tear may well up at this point). Replacing centuries of warfare with decades of late-night summits quibbling over fish quotas is the European project’s proudest achievement. Fair enough. But peace stops at the ’s borders. Surrounding the club is a zone of turmoil, which Europe seems powerless to soothe.The prospect of war in Ukraine currently dominates the headlines. But look in just about any direction and Europe’s neighbourhood is a mess. Belarus, Europe’s last dictatorship, recently flew in migrants from Iraq, dumped them at the Polish border fence, gave them boltcutters and ordered them to try to break into the in the hope of causing another refugee crisis. The Belarusian despot is now welcoming Russian soldiers, perhaps on their way to invade Ukraine.