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Unity
and
cohesion
were
conspicuously
absent
at
the
Bratislava
castle
where
the
EU
28
minus
1
met
to
discuss
the
post-Brexit
world.
Nobody
is
harbouring
any
illusions.
German
Chancellor
Angela
Merkel
and
European
Commission
President
Jean-Claude
Juncker
admitted
that
the
EU
is
in
an
'existential
crisis.'
Brexit
is
only
the
latest
symptom
of
the
fear
and
discontent
that
have
spread
across
the
continent,
fuelled
by
the
migrant
crisis,
Islamophobia,
Eurozone
woes
and
terrorist
attacks.
Friday's
meeting
was
organised
by
Donald
Tusk,
President
of
the
European
Council,
that
provides
strategic
direction
to
the
EU,
in
order
to
'diagnose'
the
situation
and
to
forge
a
united
path
forward.
This
is
not
going
to
be
an
easy
task
given
that
the
bloc
is
split
into
factions,
mainly
around
issues
of
economics
and
migration.
'The
Bratislava
Declaration'
offers
a
road
map
for
the
next
six
months,
on
migration,
border
security,
counter-terrorism,
defence
and
economic
and
social
development,
providing
political
backing
to
measures
announced
by
Mr.
Juncker
in
his
State
of
the
Union
address
in
Brussels.
Europe
is
much
like
a
stack
of
Jenga
blocks
at
present.
Each
move
needs
precision
and
care
in
order
to
preserve
the
integrity
of
an
increasingly
tenuous
union.
The
declaration
identifies
various
areas
for
action.
Some
of
these
are
likely
to
find
wide
acceptance,
such
as
funding
for
strategic
investments
across
the
region,
establishing
a
common
capital
market
across
the
EU
and
acquiring
advanced
traveller
information
to
secure
borders.
Other
areas,
such
as
migration,
are
more
contentious.
Hungarians
will
participate
in
a
national
referendum
in
October
to
decide
whether
they
will
accept
the
recommended
share.
The
EU
must
find
a
creative,
humane
and
effective
solution
to
receive
and
resettle
refugees.
Another
contentious
proposal
is
the
European
army.
Mr.
Juncker
had
proposed
that
member-states
move
towards
pooling
and
centralising
their
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