Global-risks

What a year 2015 was for Europe, eh? The largest refugee crisis since World War Two, two major terrorist attacks in Paris, a new radical left government in Greece (and a subsequent referendum on austerity), Quantitative Easing from the European Central Bank, and a global agreement on climate change. Will 2016 be a quieter time for the continent?

From the 20th to the 23rd of January 2016, the World Economic Forum (WEF) is holding its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Politicians, business leaders, journalists, intellectuals, and Hollywood celebrities are meeting to discuss some of the biggest threats facing the international community. To coincide with the meeting, the WEF has published its Global Risks Report 2016, drawing on a panel of 750 experts to highlight some of the ways that global risks could interact and evolve over the coming decade.

The report lists 29 global risks, including everything from the failure of climate-change mitigation and adaptation, to large-scale involuntary migration, severe energy price shocks (oil briefly dipped below $27 a barrel in January), weapons of mass destruction, and water crises. Many of these risks would affect the international community equally, but are there any particular risks that Europe should be concerned about above others?

What are the biggest risks for Europe in 2016? Could the refugee crisis pull the European Union apart? Should the threat of another global financial collapse be top of the agenda? Is climate change the most significant challenge for the future? Let us know your thoughts and comments in the form below, and we’ll take them to policymakers and experts for their reactions!

IMAGE CREDITS: CC / Flickr – Elliott Brown


56 comments Post a commentcomment

What do YOU think?

  1. avatar
    Joey Stack

    Continuing to flounder and fail in dealing with this migrant crisis. Handled horrifically so far and I can’t see anything changing.

  2. avatar
    Chris Alexander Zervas

    1) German policy towards austerity measures as a Weapon to Conquer the rest of the States/ Members through Economy- Then Tanks===> Now Banks –
    2) the illegal refugee issues and their uncontrollable and without General Policy ENTRANCE / OCCUPATION OF EUROPE- unless the ” NO PLAN ISTHE PLAN” as European are screaming in Brussels for so long now!
    3) EUROPE HAS TO HONOUR ITS INITIAL PRINCIPLES AND VALUES: Democracy- Respect of human rights & Freedom- Solidarity- common currency practices guaranteed by the ECB & a common Defence Policy!

    • avatar
      Tarquin Farquhar

      @Chris Alexander Zervas
      Bravo re 1 and 2.
      As regards 3 – common currency – no chance.

  3. avatar
    Syilvia Jordanova

    Migrant crisis. EU must act NOW! All must know thah only one person in this world wants to see the Union fall. If the Union can’t handle with the migrant crisis, this one MAN will win, and you all know what thah means.

  4. avatar
    Vinko Rajic

    Angela Merkel and new “Christian governments” like Polish, Hungarian and Croatian.

  5. avatar
    Martin Georgiev

    The European Union to keep wasting Europe’s money, keep teaching us about “Tolerance” and “MultiKulti”, since the European Politicians also do not know the true meaning of the words, not protecting our History, Heritage and Traditions, the uncontrolled migration politics and not protecting Europe’s borders + not finding homes and jobs for the thousands unemployed and homeless Europeans. And many other problems.

  6. avatar
    Katrin Mpakirtzi

    the terrorists who send our ”ally”against christians. The euro who is passion anymore and not for all society for a…better life. They buy and sell lifes as…cars. No education no happyness no celebrates. Taxes money and fights for… more money

  7. avatar
    Andrej Němec

    Citizens’ stupidity and lack of sense of responsibility: blaming others for their own flaws. Citizens blaming governments and national politicians, national politicians blaming Brussels. The blame game is the biggest danger because it prevents people from taking responsibility of things and make a personal and collective effort to find and implement a solution.

  8. avatar
    Wendy Harris

    The kind of self-righteous idiots who sink the lifeboats by trying to rescue too many people but end up drowning everyone.

  9. avatar
    eusebio manuel vestias pecurto

    Seem honest in clear terms lot of policians across the Union has -a scapegoat with the cause of all their its I believe in the Eiuropean Economic and Social sustainable project Welcome EUROPEAN UNION IN THE UNITED STATES

  10. avatar
    ironworker

    Refugees, North Stream 2, Turkey-Russia relation, a new econmic downturn, U.K. referendum, terrorist acts, an increasingly agresive Russia, an increasingly EU skepticism and the rise of nationalist movements, Bruxelles/Berlin political infexibility, etc, etc, etc. Honestly, I find quite hard to give priorities.

  11. avatar
    Olivier Dutreil

    Refugees crisis, euro crisis,austerity,german policy,europe cowardness, islamisation of europe

    • avatar
      Tarquin Farquhar

      @J M Perz Gnlz
      Good call!!

  12. avatar
    hans van veen

    The EU, and it`s politicans and bankers.
    During the EC we had growth and a common future.
    The EU took that common ideal and our economy away.

  13. avatar
    EU reform- proactive

    …….risks for Europe in 2016?………”and beyond”!
    It’s a generation of silly & misguided politicians and their suicidal policies- destroying what previous generations created.

    Religion has been replaced by an army of Human Rights Lawyers. Christian churches transformed into museums and Muslim refugee shelters. We folks have to pay to be re-educated and explained the “glorious version” (one out of many) of “European Islam”, soon followed by European Jihad- besides forced into a destructive global capitalism as part of EU doctrine!

    A wake up call for all and democratic actions against these bunch of “political over correct” (Christian) psychopaths!

  14. avatar
    My Name Does Not Matter Anyway

    Now the biggest risk is the emigration tidal wave. After of series of sexual assaults on women in Germany by Arab immigrants something needs to be done or there would be no Europe for us all !!!

  15. avatar
    مشیر بارسلونا

    Peace and economic stability goes hand in hand. If terror financing is not tracked and stopped soon, sure we’re heading towards another economic crisis on global scenario.

  16. avatar
    Nando Aidos

    Why not propose a SWOT analysis? So that people can think about Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats? Instead of always being so negative? Instead of cultivating fear by always asking people about what is wrong?

  17. avatar
    Adrian Limbidis

    1. Islam
    2. Russia
    3. Two speed Europe ( which will lead to “some are more equal than others” and the total collapse of trust of the lower speed regions )

  18. avatar
    Jeremy Bornstein

    RIP EU 2016, we need a Europe of nations and fatherlands,not this modern frankenstein of a creation.

  19. avatar
    George Yiannitsiotis

    1. German (hidden) neonazionalist Hegemonism
    2. Religious fanatism and blind terrorism
    3. Territorial integrity and security
    4. The ECB/IMF/EU-Commission usurers gang

  20. avatar
    Ivona Harcarova

    1.) the biggest problem not only in Europe but in the whole world is media because they are creating chauvinism and racism, moreover exaggarate everything which automatically leads to the fact that everyone hates everyone, people have no idea what is really happening and many of them then follow crowds and/or politicians like sheep repeating the same nonsense
    2.) corruption and German/French ´´dictatorship´´….this is EUROPEAN UNION not a German-French Kingdom so maybe it would be better to ask people what they want (people, not politicians, who ´´represent´´ the will of the people in this so-called democracy)
    3.) Cooperation, what is that? I don´t think EU knows what that really means.
    4.) Migrant crisis…we seriously need some regulations and plan how to deal with migrants, however creating anti-migrant sentiments, building walls on the borders or signing ´´secret´´ treaties are NOT A SOLUTION! EU seriously needs a wake-up call!

  21. avatar
    crazy racers

    The first risk and danger for Europe is the immigration

    • avatar
      crazy racers

      There will be a lot of crisis in the continet

  22. avatar
    Ivan

    Now the biggest risk is the emigration tidal wave.

  23. avatar
    Kristiqn

    One of the biggest problem makers in Europe are people who are overattached to their religion like some of the islamic believers, becouse they are quite sensitive when it comes to religion and beliefs: for example the terrorist atacks in Paris when a french magazine posted something about their prophet Muhammad and the extremists killed the people who worked there becouse they took it seriously like it was something against them, like if it was an insult.I do not know about you but im really scared from them these people are quite insane and if someday someone say a joke involving islamic believers or their religion itself people may missunderstand it and take it as an insult which can start a war.I may be exaggerating but still i think you see my poit.

  24. avatar
    Kristina Dimitrova

    The biggest risks for Europe in 2016 are the spreading of the refugees, continuing of the attacks that put in danger every country and person, innocent or not, we can’t feel safe in a place full of people with radical beliefs. Unemployment is another difficulty that many of the European young people are faced with. It can cause hunger, homelessness and depression, especially when young people feel unwanted and desperate.

  25. avatar
    Cortney Vavilon Sydney Lee

    Religious fanaticism comes not from deep faith, but from a lack of it.The fanatic feels compelled to engage in behaviors that demonstrate his faith.

  26. avatar
    Teovel

    The biggest risks are the terrorist attacks, immigration, unemployment, the high density of our population which is the reason for the lack of enough food and the creation of more GMO….

  27. avatar
    Iliqn Bojilov

    I am Ilian from Bulgaria. I don’t agree that the EU keep sending emigrants to our country. Why we are supposed to accept them when they aren’t even from Syria. We respect that they have hardship and they can lose their lives but here are people from different countries. I don’t tolerate things like that.

    • avatar
      Iliqn Bojilov

      super

  28. avatar
    Vinkel

    The biggest problem of all the countries out there in the EU is the corruption. Because of the corruption and the greedy politics there is a lack of money globally.
    For example take Bulgaria and Greece. Our countries are very poor at the moment. Especially Bulgaria. There are no money for retired people and for health care. Hell, even our minimal wage is 200 euro…
    And we have another problem knocking at our door- the refugees. Naturally we must help them, because they’re normal people just running away from the war to save their families… But among them terrorists are sneaking inside Europe making attacks and problems. Paris is the biggest example for the attacks.
    Globally, we need to eliminate the corruption and tighten the border control, especially the countries which serve as a border between Europe and the countries in the middle east.

  29. avatar
    Roberta Koleva

    Third world war is coming. Why’s that?
    Well, let’s see. Aperantly, we’ve got some trouble in Jannah, with other words we’ve got religious fanatism, blind terrorism and an endless bias…
    And, yes, aperantly, Allah isn’t satisfied enough with muslims (I’m not talking about the regular muslims, who are just happy with being muslims and not with killing others, I’m talking about radicalists), maybe they have not killed enough people just yet.
    Another problem is people think that if one or two or tree or twenty muslims have killed people, that undoubtly means that all of the muslims are going to do the same.
    That are just some of the many many problems in Europe. People have prejudies.
    No! There are good christians and evil christians, there are good muslims and evil muslims, there are also good refugees and evil ones. So you shouldn’t be naive, but you alslo should not generalize too much.

  30. avatar
    z

    missing: common sense, common goals, common life, community, sacrifice,
    union started with forward looking vision, now backwarding hate, quarrel, division
    500millions sheep mixed with hordes of mad dogs, no shepherd, no god, no rules, no control.
    too many enemies inside outside, generating bad intension propaganda, ignorant sheeple happily fall for it.

    learn for a life: You can not achieve goals against something, only for something. if your fear lead your decision, is a sure fiasco.

    dont’t think I’m a winner in this union, but it doesn’t mean i will give up. (yet)

    so, just head (shut) up and pull.

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