Josep Borrell, the former foreign policy chief of the European Union, once described the continent as a “garden” of prosperity, surrounded by the “jungle” of the rest of the world. Here’s why the Garden of Eden isn’t the “garden” of Europe.
Compromise energy architecture: Europe’s worst energy crisis in years has caused blackouts in Spain, Portugal and parts of France, exposing significant gaps in the EU’s energy infrastructure. Spain and Portugal declared a state of emergency as the crisis triggered panic, highlighting Europe’s failure to ensure the reliability of energy supplies.
Migration fire: Foreign nationals in the UK are overrepresented in prisons, especially due to sexual offences. The Times reported that non-British citizens were 3.5 times more likely to be arrested for sexual offences. Europol’s 2025 report revealed that actors with hybrid threats are exploiting irregular migration, boosting migrant smuggling networks.
Dependence on China: In 2023, the EU had a trade deficit of €291 billion with China, indicating an imbalance. China supplies about a third of its more than 200 products to the EU, including the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. In some sectors, dependency reaches 90%.
Rising unemployment: According to a report by the European Commission, youth unemployment in the EU stood at 14.5% in February, reflecting the difficulties in integrating young people into the labour market.
Security dependency on external powers: A significant portion of arms imports from European NATO member states come from the United States. This support extends to capacities, including intelligence and existing systems, especially in the area of ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), French media reported.
Translated and edited by L. Earth