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By Nikita Lalwani and Sam Winter-Levy By Nikita Lalwani and Sam Winter-Levy January 12

In their new book, Religion and the Struggle for European Union, the political scientists Brent Nelsen and James Guth explore an unlikely source of support for and opposition to the European Union: religion. Public opinion surveys from as far back as the 1970s show that Catholics tend to favor European integration; Protestants tend to resist it. As Europe becomes more secular, this trend has weakened, but it has not disappeared.

In a recent interview, Nelsen and Guth explained why Catholics are more sympathetic toward the E.U., why this may not last, and what this might mean for the future of the European project.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

NL& SW-L: Most people, when they think about factors that influence support for the European Union, dont think about religion. What prompted you to do so?

Brent Nelsen: Youre right that, most of the time, people are skeptical, especially in Europe, about whether or not religion really is an independent factor influencing support for the E.U. But in 2001, we started looking at Eurobarometer data, and its very clear that Catholics, controlling for all other factors, favor the E.U. more than do Protestants. These attitudes were forged in the Reformation, with the development of two different approaches to governance in Europe. Catholics see Europe as a single cultural whole that ought to be governed in some coordinated way. Protestants, on the other hand, have seen the nation state as a bulwark against Catholic hegemony, and they have been very reluctant to give it up, even as religion has become less important.

NL& SW-L: What sort of gap are we talking about between Catholic and Protestant support for the E.U.?

James Guth: This varies by country. When you ask Protestants whether or not they identify with the E.U. flag a marker of support for the E.U. and whether they want that flag flown next to their national flag outside public buildings, about half of all Protestants say that they dont identify with it or want it flown. Catholics are much more likely to say the opposite.

When you start taking other factors into account, that gap may decline a little. After the financial crisis and the refugee crisis, for example, support for the E.U. went down among Catholics rather significantly, whereas among Protestants in more prosperous areas, those attitudes didnt decline very much. Still, Catholics remain more supportive of the E.U. than Protestants. In the past, among Catholics, the more religious you were, the stronger you supported the E.U. And thats been true until very recently when some traditionalist Catholics have begun to rebel against the E.U. because of its liberal social policies.

NL& SW-L: What is it about Catholicism that promotes support for the E.U., and what is it about Protestantism that promotes the opposite?

BN: Catholicism has always been a universal religion. It was the successor to the Roman Empire, and in Catholic theology and ideology, theres always been an emphasis on the unity of Christendom. Even today, even though the pope doesnt claim secular authority, theres still supranational governance within the Roman Catholic Church. So Catholics have always been very comfortable, even if subconsciously, with the notion of supranational governance.

After the Reformation, Protestants, on the other hand, attempted to carve out areas of religious liberty and caught on to the notion of the nation state. They didnt invent the concept it was invented by both sides as they came out of the religious wars of the 17th century but the Protestants saw the nation state as very important for guaranteeing their liberty. For people in the Nordic states and the United Kingdom, the continent was the source of instability and of hegemony, and thats part of why they developed a strong commitment to the nation and to national sovereignty this was really the main vehicle for defense against, first, expanding Catholic control in the 16th and 17th centuries, and then, later on, Napoleon and Hitler.

NL& SW-L -Did religion play a part in the Brexit vote?

JG: Yes. If you look at the 2014 European Parliamentary Election Study, in the run-up to the Brexit vote, its clear that in the United Kingdom, Catholics were supportive of the E.U., as were minority religions Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists whereas Evangelical Protestants were the most critical of the E.U. And a lot of the surveys that were done just before and after the Brexit vote, even though they werent very good at identifying different religious groups, found pretty consistently that the more Protestant you were, the more critical you were of the E.U. That may have made the difference: If those Protestants had voted the way the average citizen of the United Kingdom had, Brexit wouldnt have passed.

NL& SW-L: Was this religious split evident after World War II, when the idea of the E.U. was first being debated?

BN: The division has been clear from the beginning. Just look at the religious backgrounds of the E.U.s founders. [Robert] Schuman, [Konrad] Adenauer, and [Alcide] de Gasperi were Catholic, and very devout Catholics at that. ([Jean] Monnet wasnt so much he only became a Catholic on his deathbed.) The Protestants, even early on, were very skeptical. The British did not contribute to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community. At first they were cut out, then they didnt want to be part of it, and then they observed for a while. They even created their own European free trade area. The Nordics, for various reasons, didnt like what was going on on the continent. In Germany and the Netherlands, which have mixed confessional cultures, its the Protestants that are, if not overtly resisting the process, certainly trying to shape it in a less federal direction.

NL& SW-L: Do you observe the same trend when it comes to support for other supranational bodies, like the U.N. or the WTO?

JG: Its a little harder to say. Often, there arent good measures of attitudes toward various supranational organizations that also measure religion. But in the evidence that does exist, you find that Catholics tend to be much more comfortable with the U.N. or the WTO, all other things considered. Some of these attitudes even cross the ocean. American Catholics are much friendlier toward the European Union than Evangelical Protestants are.

NL& SW-L: How do you know that the relationship between religion and support for the E.U. is a causal one?

JG: We tested all the alternative theories along with it. And most important, we have a theory that explains why religion has this effect: it has to do with Catholic comfort with supranational government, and it connects with Catholic social theology as it developed in Europe before and after the war. Of course, this doesnt mean that all Catholics are supporters of the E.U. or that all Protestants are opponents. In fact, in the last decade or so, devout people of all traditions now tend to be more supportive of the E.U. In part, this reflects a change in attitude in state churches in a lot of Protestant countries that have become somewhat more supportive of the E.U. For example, in the United Kingdom, the Anglican Church has gradually moved toward a more affirmative position toward the E.U. (they took a cautious line in the run-up to the referendum, and almost all the bishops said that they were personally in favor of staying in the E.U.). Its possible that devout Protestants are picking up on those cues, and now loyal Catholics and loyal Protestants seem to have moved into the same camp.

NL& SW-L: What other factors influence peoples support for the E. U.? How does religion stack up against them?

BN: Probably the main theory concerns economics. If you are going to benefit from the E.U. economically, the theory goes, you are going to support it. If not, you are going to resist it. People also think that support for the E.U. depends on educational levels, income levels, gender and how much you know about the E.U. We tested religion against all of those other factors, and we found that yes, there is some explanatory power in all these theories. But we also find that, controlling for everything else, religion remains a very strong contributor. In survey after survey, religion remains a factor in explaining attitudes toward the E.U.

JG: For a great many years, Catholic support provided an important bedrock for the E.U., regardless of fluctuations in the economy or in the political fortunes of the Christian Democrats or Social Democrats. But now, as Europe grows increasingly secular, that bedrock is eroding. This is particularly worrisome for the E.U. given its economic troubles and the fact that people are losing trust in their governments, which often indicates a lack of trust in the E.U. as well. And as those factors become more important, especially among young people, it becomes much more difficult for leaders to advance the cause of European integration.

NL& SW-L: Is Catholic support for the E.U. a result of explicit church guidance? Or is it simply an implicit cultural value?

JG: Its both. The Catholic Church has explicitly supported European integration since World War II. Every pope since the end of World War II has been very supportive of the E.U. In 2014, Pope Francis gave a talk at the European Parliament about the need for the E.U. to rediscover its vision. Catholics are getting cues from the top, even if theyre subtle ones.

Its the same story with Protestants. In the United Kingdom, you have Evangelical pastors who, on the Sunday before the Brexit referendum, were talking about how leaving the E.U. was the better Christian choice. I was at a conference in Oxford a couple of years ago, and on Sunday, I attended an Evangelical Anglican congregation. The greeter who met us at the door asked me what I was there for, and I explained that I was giving a paper on religion and European identity. He said, Well, I think youve come to the wrong place. We dont have any Europeans in this congregation. People are getting cues like this all the time, from the clergy, from others in the congregation. Its a pervasive cultural force, even if its becoming weaker.

BN: Theres also a broader force at work, a confessional culture. [The political scientists] Ron Inglehart and Pippa Norris talk about how religions influence culture even as countries become more secular, the culture that religion shaped continues to influence peoples lives for a couple of generations. Its background radiation.

NL& SW-L: How do people of other religions tend to feel about the E.U.?

JG: Its hard to tell at the moment. Orthodoxy has a complex relationship with Europe, in part because it was Catholic Europe that became the E.U., and since the Great Schism, Orthodoxy has been a competitor. And some of the Orthodox churches have a connection with Moscow, which has used some Orthodox communions in Europe to try and undermine the E.U. in various ways. On the other hand, Orthodox folks often live in countries that really want to be in the E.U., often for economic reasons.

Muslims tend to be modestly more supportive of the E.U. than average. It may well be because they see the E.U. and its institutions as much more friendly toward ethnic and religious minorities than national governments. The E.U. has made a big effort to protect religious minorities. In addition, if youre a Muslim in France or Germany or the United Kingdom, you may not feel the same kind of national loyalty or attachment as someone whose family has been there for generations and generations. So it may be a little easier to identify with a larger entity or institution. In general, religious minorities tend to be more supportive of the E.U. That was certainly the case in the Brexit referendum. If you put all the religious minorities together, they voted, as best as we can estimate, about 70 percent to remain.

BN: Minorities of any kind tend to be more supportive of the E.U. Even Protestant minorities in Eastern European countries tend to be friendlier toward the E.U. than Protestants in Protestant majority countries.

NL& SW-L: As Europe becomes secular and the E.U. loses some of its traditional Catholic support, is there any good news for European integrationists? Can a belief in international law and human rights provide an alternative source of support?

BN: In the postwar period, the founders wanted to create a European identity to provide a bedrock for a European polity. That didnt work out so well. Then leaders thought they could ground European identity in the idea of human rights and Enlightenment values. But that seems like a weak grounding, especially as the E.U. has expanded eastward, where you find someone like [Hungarian Prime Minister] Viktor Orban, who rejects liberalism. So the bad news for the E.U. is that if it doesnt succeed economically, it probably wont succeed, because theres not much that links all Europeans together emotionally.

JG: The one thing that might work in the E.U.s favor is generational change. You saw in the Brexit vote that young people were much more inclined to stay in the E.U., and there is a clear tendency across Europe for younger people to be favorable toward the E.U. This may be because they have traveled more broadly and interacted with other Europeans through programs like Erasmus. But these sorts of transnational connections dont make up for the lack of an ideology that captures the imagination of national publics. Especially if theres no successful effort to revive European economies or deal with the migrant crisis, I just dont see where that shared ideology will come from.

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Catholics like the European Union more than Protestants do. This is why. - Washington Post

President-elect Donald Trump blamed Europes acceptance of Mideast refugees as he put it, all of these illegals for the decision by Britain to leave the European Union, and predicted the organization would disintegrate barring a reversal of immigration policies promoted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

People, countries, want their own identity and the UK wanted its own identity, Trump told representatives of the Times of London and the German publication Bild about the June Brexit vote. But, I do believe this, if they hadnt been forced to take in all of the refugees, so many, with all the problems that it ...entails, I think that you wouldnt have a Brexit."

I believe others will leave ... I think its gonna be very hard to keep it together because people are angry about it.

Merkel, a longtime U.S. ally who is facing election this year, came in for tough treatment from Trump, who also criticized the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that has been the western bulwark against Russia on the European continent.

At one point, he appeared to equate Merkel with Russian leader Vladimir Putin a put-down given the German-U.S. alliance but representative of Trump's frequent praise of Putin.

"Well, I start off trusting both but lets see how long that lasts. It may not last long at all, Trump said.

Trump said that under Merkel, Germany had tried to take over the EU, an organization he said was faltering because of her policies.

I think she made one very catastrophic mistake and that was taking all of these illegals, you know taking all of the people from wherever they come from. And nobody even knows where they come from, he said, repeating some of his favorite campaign rhetoric.

In the United States, entering refugees face up to two years of investigation before they are allowed to come into the country. But Trump throughout the campaign and now into his imminent presidency has portrayed them as a threat to Americans.

Trump told the reporters he would sign orders beginning Monday to restrict travel from Europe and would impose extreme vetting forthose coming from places with known problems with Islamistterrorism. He has never made clear which countries would fall under that umbrella.

Trumps statements, while in keeping with positions he took in the campaign, represent a sharp break from decades of U.S. policy. Politicians of both major parties have, until now, favored a more globalist approach, including international trade deals that Trump also scorned during his successful run for president.

In contrast with Trumps predictions of the EUs demise, President Obama tried to persuade Britain to stay in the organization before the June referendum ended in a surprise departure vote.

Trumps criticism of NATO likewise ran askance from U.S. policy since the organization was formed after World War II. It was in keeping with Trumps campaign threat to base decisions on whether the United States would back up member nations on the extent to which they helped financeNATO.

I said a long time ago that NATO had problems, he said. Number one it was obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago. Number two the countries arent paying what theyre supposed to pay. He specifically blamed the organization for not blunting terrorism.

The president-elect indicated that he would meet soon after his inauguration with British Prime Minister Theresa May, and vowed to negotiate an immediate trade deal with Britain. In theory, that would help prop the nation up as it moves to disentangle itself from its European neighbors.

Were gonna work very hard to get it done quickly and done properly. Good for both sides, Trump said.

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Donald Trump blames dissolution of European Union on refugees 'all of these illegals' - Los Angeles Times

Countries Bolivia and the EU Afghanistan and the EU Albania and the EU Algeria and the EU Andorra and the EU Angola and the EU Anguilla and the EU Antigua and Barbuda and the EU Argentina and the EU Armenia and the EU Aruba and the EU ASEAN and the EU Australia and the EU Azerbaijan and the EU Bahamas and the EU Bahrain and the EU Bangladesh and the EU Barbados and the EU Belarus and the EU Belize and the EU Benin and the EU Bermuda and the EU Bhutan and the EU Bonaire and the EU Botswana and the EU Botswana, SADC Brazil and the EU British Antarctic Territory and the EU British Indian Ocean Territory and the EU British Indian Ocean Territory and the EU British Virgin Islands and the EU Brunei and the EU Brunei Darussalam and the EU Burkina Faso and the EU Burundi and the EU Cabo Verde e a UE Cambodia and the EU Cameroon and the EU Canada and the EU Cayman Islands and the EU Chad and the EU Chile and the EU China and the EU Colombia and the EU Comoros and the EU Cook Islands and the EU Costa Rica and the European Union Cuba and the EU Curaao and the EU Djibouti and the EU Dominica and the EU Dominican Republic and the EU DPRK and the EU Ecuador and the EU Egypt and the EU El Salvador and the EU Equatorial Guinea and the EU Eritrea and the EU Ethiopia and the EU Falkland Islands and the EU Fiji and the EU French Polynesia and the EU French Southern Territories Gabon and the EU Gambia and the EU Georgia and the EU Ghana and the EU Greenland and the EU Grenada and the EU Guatemala and the European Union Gulf and the EU Guyana and the EU Haiti and the EU Honduras and the EU Hong Kong and the EU Iceland and the EU India and the EU Indonesia and the EU Iran and the EU Iraq and the EU Israel and the EU Ivory Coast and the EU Jamaica and the EU Japan and the EU Jordan and the EU Kazakhstan and the EU Kenya and the EU Kiribati and the EU Kosovo and the EU Kuwait and the EU Kyrgyz Republic and the EU La Guine et l'UE La Rpublique Centrafricaine et l'UE La Tunisie et lUE Lao PDR and the EU Lebanon and the EU Lesotho and the EU Liberia and the EU Libya and the EU Liechtenstein and the EU Madagascar and the EU Malawi and the EU Malaysia and the EU Maldives and the EU Mali and the EU Marshall Islands and the EU Mauritania and the EU Mauritius and the EU Mayotte and the EU Mexico and the EU Micronesia and the EU Moambique & a UE Moldova and the EU Monaco and the EU Mongolia and the EU Montenegro and the EU Montserrat and the EU Morocco and the EU Myanmar (Burma) and the EU Namibia and the EU Nauru and the EU Nepal and the EU New Caledonia an the EU New Zealand and the EU Nicaragua and the EU Niger and the EU Nigeria and the EU Niue and the EU Norway and the EU Oman and the EU Pakistan and the EU Palau and the EU Papua New Guinea and the EU Paraguay and the EU Peru and the EU Philippines and the EU Pitcairn and the EU Qatar and the EU Rwanda and the EU Saba and the EU Saint-Kitts and Nevis and the EU Saint-Lucia and the EU Saint-Vincent and the Grenadines and the EU Samoa and the EU San Marino and the EU So Tom and Prncipe and the EU Saudi Arabia and the EU Senegal and the EU Serbia and the EU Seychelles and the EU Sierra Leone and the EU Singapore and the EU Solomon Islands and the EU Solomon Islands and Vanuatu Somalia and the EU South Africa and the EU South Georgian and South Sandwich Islands South Korea and the EU South Sudan and the EU Sri Lanka and Maldives Sri Lanka and the EU St Helena and the EU St Pierre and Miquelon and the EU St. Eustatius and the EU St. Maarten and the EU Sudan and the EU Suriname and the EU Swaziland and the EU Switzerland and the EU Syria and the EU Taiwan and the EU Tajikistan and the EU Tanzania and the EU Thailand and the EU The African Union and the EU The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the EU The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the EU The Holy See and the EU The Republic of the Congo and the EU The Russian Federation and the European Union (EU) The UN in Rome and the EU The United Arab Emirates and the EU Timor-Leste and the EU Togo and the European Union Tonga and the EU Trinidad and Tobago and the EU Turkey Turkmenistan and the EU Turks and Caicos Islands and the EU Tuvalu and the EU Uganda and the EU Ukraine and the EU United States of America Uruguay and the EU Uzbekistan and the EU Vanuatu and the EU Venezuela y la UE Wallis and Futuna and the EU West Bank and Gaza Strip, UNRWA and the EU Yemen and the EU Zambia and the EU Zimbabwe and the EU

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Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine - European ...

Definition: The European Union (EU) is a unified trade and monetary body of28 member countries. Its purpose is to be more competitive in the global marketplace. At the same time, it must balance the needs of itsindependent fiscal and political members.

The EU's 28 member countries are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia,Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,Germany,Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

That will be drop to 27 when the UK leaves the EU.

The EU eliminates all border controls between members. That allows the free flow of goods and people, except for random spot checks for crime and drugs.The EU transmits state-of-the-art technologies to its members. The areas that benefit are environmental protection, research and development, and energy.

Public contracts are open to bidders from any member country.Any product manufactured in one country can be soldto any other member withouttariffsor duties. Taxes are all standardized. Practitioners of most services (law, medicine, tourism, banking, insurance, etc.) can operate in all member countries. As a result, the cost of airfares, the internet, and phone calls have fallen dramatically.

Three bodies run the EU. The EU Council represents national governments. The Parliament is elected by the people.

The European Commission is the EU staff. They make sure all members act consistently in regional, agricultural, and social policies. Contributions of 120 billion a year from member states fund the EU.

Here's how the three bodies uphold the laws governing the EU. Theseare spelled out in a series of treaties and supporting regulations:

The Schengen Area guarantees free movement to those legally residing within its boundaries. Residents and visitors can cross borders without gettingvisas or showing their passports. In total, there are 26 members of the Schengen Area. They are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Two EU countries (Ireland and the UK) have declined the Schengen benefits. Four non-EU countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) that have adopted the Schengen Agreement.

Three territories are special members of the EU and part of the Schengen Area: the Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands. Three countries have open borders with the Schengen Area: Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City. (Source: "Schengen Area," European Commission. "Schengen Area Countries List," Schengen Visa Infor.)

The euro is the common currency for the EU area. It is the second most commonly held currency in the world, after the U.S. dollar. Itreplaced the Italian lira, the French franc, and the German Deutschmark.

The eurozone consists of all countries that use the euro. All EU members pledge to convert to the euro, but only 19have so far. They are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. The eurozone was created in 2005. (Source: "What Is the Euro Area?" European Commission. "The Euro," European Union.)

The European Central Bank (ECB) is the EU's central bank. It sets monetary policy and manages bank lending rates and foreign-exchange reserves. Its target inflation rate is less than 2%.

This chart shows which countries are members of the EU, the eurozone, and the Schengen area.

In 1951, the concept of a European trade area was first established. The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)had six founding members:Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. In 1957, the Treaty of Rome established a common market. Iteliminated customs dutiesin 1968. It put in placestandard policies, particularly in trade and agriculture. In 1973, the ECSC addedDenmark, Ireland, and the UK. Itcreated its first Parliament in 1979. Greece joined in 1981, followed by Spain and Portugal in 1986.

In 1993, the Treaty of Maastricht established the European Union common market. Two years later, the EU addedAustria, Sweden, and Finland. In 2004, twelve more countries joined:Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania,Slovakia, and Slovenia.

In 2009, the Treaty of Lisbon increased the powers of the European Parliament. It gave the EU the legal authority to negotiate and sign international treaties. It increased EU powers border control, immigration, judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters, and police cooperation. It abandoned the idea of a European Constitution. European law is still established by international Treaties. (Source: "The Treaty of Lisbon--Introduction," EU Lex.)

On June 23, 2016, theUnited Kingdomvoted to leave the European Union. It could take two years to negotiate the terms of the exit. Some EU members asked for an earlier withdrawal. The uncertainty dampened business growth for companies that operate in Europe.U.S. companies are the largest investors in Great Britain. They invested $588 billion and employed more than a million people. These companies use itas the gateway to free trade with the EU.Britain's investment in the United States is at the same level. That could impact up to two million U.S./British jobs. It's unknown exactly how many are held by U.S. citizens. (Source: "Brexit Could Send Shock Wave Across U.S. and Global Economy," Washington Post, June 18, 2016.)

The day after the vote, theDow fell 600 points. Theeuro fell 2% to $1.11. In the face of so muchvolatility,gold pricesrose 6% from $1,255 to $1,330.

What caused "Brexit?" Many in the UK, as in other EU nations, are worried about the free movement of immigrants and refugees. They don't like the budgetary constraints and regulations imposed by the EU. They want to enjoy the benefits of free movement of capital and trade, but not the costs. (Source: "What Is Brexit and Why Does It Matter?" The Guardian, June 18, 2016.)

In 2011, theGreece debt crisisthreatenedthe concept of the eurozone.That's because it nearly triggeredsovereign debtcrises in Portugal, Italy, Ireland, and Spain. EU leadersassuredinvestors that it would stand behind its members'debts. At the same time, they imposedausterity measuresto restrainthecountries' spending. They wanted all members to honorthe debt limits imposed bythe Maastricht Treaty requirements.

In July 2008, the ECB increased rates to 4.25% to combat 4% inflation caused byhigh oil prices. The euro strengthened, weakening EU exports. Factory orders plummeted 4.4%, the biggest decrease since 2003. (Source: "Euro-Zone Factory Orders Fall as Outlook Dims,"The Wall Street Journal,July 24, 2008.)

The ECB switched torecession-fighting in October, when Lehman Brothers went bankrupt. By May 2009, it had lowered the rate to 1%. But it began raising rates again too soon. By July 2011, the rate was 1.5%, creating a credit crunch and recession. In December 2011, it lowered the rate back down to 1%.In March 2015, the ECB began purchasing60 billion in euro-denominated bonds per month. The launch ofQuantitative Easingpushed the euro's value down to $1.06 from $1.20 in January. (Source:ECB Website) For more, seeEuro to Dollar Conversion.

In 2007, the EUbecame theworld's largest economy. ItsGross Domestic Product(GDP) was $14.4 trillion, beating theU.S. GDPof$13.86 trillion. The EUheld onto its premier position throughthe2008 financial crisisand theeurozone debt crisis. In2013,the United States briefly regained its leading position.China took over the top spot in 2014. (Source: CIA World Factbook,Rank Order GDP)

The value of the euro continued to rise until thecredit crisis in 2007. At that time, there was a flight to safety to the dollar, whichstrengthened the dollar. The euro's weakness hasn't boosted exports due to lower worldwidedemand.

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What Is the European Union: How It Works, History

Countries Bolivia and the EU Afghanistan and the EU Albania and the EU Algeria and the EU Andorra and the EU Angola and the EU Anguilla and the EU Antigua and Barbuda and the EU Argentina and the EU Armenia and the EU Aruba and the EU ASEAN and the EU Australia and the EU Azerbaijan and the EU Bahamas and the EU Bahrain and the EU Bangladesh and the EU Barbados and the EU Belarus and the EU Belize and the EU Benin and the EU Bermuda and the EU Bhutan and the EU Bonaire and the EU Botswana and the EU Botswana, SADC Brazil and the EU British Antarctic Territory and the EU British Indian Ocean Territory and the EU British Indian Ocean Territory and the EU British Virgin Islands and the EU Brunei and the EU Brunei Darussalam and the EU Burkina Faso and the EU Burundi and the EU Cabo Verde e a UE Cambodia and the EU Cameroon and the EU Canada and the EU Cayman Islands and the EU Chad and the EU Chile y la UE China and the EU Colombia and the EU Comoros and the EU Cook Islands and the EU Costa Rica and the European Union Cuba and the EU Curaao and the EU Djibouti and the EU Dominica and the EU Dominican Republic and the EU DPRK and the EU Ecuador and the EU Egypt and the EU El Salvador and the EU Equatorial Guinea and the EU Eritrea and the EU Ethiopia and the EU Falkland Islands and the EU Fiji and the EU French Polynesia and the EU French Southern Territories Gabon and the EU Gambia and the EU Georgia and the EU Ghana and the EU Greenland and the EU Grenada and the EU Guatemala and the European Union Gulf and the EU Guyana and the EU Haiti and the EU Honduras and the EU Hong Kong and the EU Iceland and the EU India and the EU Indonesia and the EU Iran and the EU Iraq and the EU Israel and the EU Ivory Coast and the EU Jamaica and the EU Japan and the EU Jordan and the EU Kazakhstan and the EU Kenya and the EU Kiribati and the EU Kosovo and the EU Kuwait and the EU Kyrgyz Republic and the EU La Guine et l'UE La Rpublique Centrafricaine et l'UE La Tunisie et lUE Lao PDR and the EU Lebanon and the EU Lesotho and the EU Liberia and the EU Libya and the EU Liechtenstein and the EU Madagascar and the EU Malawi and the EU Malaysia and the EU Maldives and the EU Mali and the EU Marshall Islands and the EU Mauritania and the EU Mauritius and the EU Mayotte and the EU Mexico and the EU Micronesia and the EU Moambique & a UE Moldova and the EU Monaco and the EU Mongolia and the EU Montenegro and the EU Montserrat and the EU Morocco and the EU Myanmar (Burma) and the EU Namibia and the EU Nauru and the EU Nepal and the EU New Caledonia an the EU New Zealand and the EU Nicaragua y la UE Niger and the EU Nigeria and the EU Niue and the EU Norway and the EU Oman and the EU Pakistan and the EU Palau and the EU Papua New Guinea and the EU Paraguay and the EU Peru and the EU Philippines and the EU Pitcairn and the EU Qatar and the EU Rwanda and the EU Saba and the EU Saint-Kitts and Nevis and the EU Saint-Lucia and the EU Saint-Vincent and the Grenadines and the EU Samoa and the EU San Marino and the EU So Tom and Prncipe and the EU Saudi Arabia and the EU Senegal and the EU Serbia and the EU Seychelles and the EU Sierra Leone and the EU Singapore and the EU Solomon Islands and the EU Solomon Islands and Vanuatu Somalia and the EU South Africa and the EU South Georgian and South Sandwich Islands South Korea and the EU South Sudan and the EU Sri Lanka and Maldives Sri Lanka and the EU St Helena and the EU St Pierre and Miquelon and the EU St. Eustatius and the EU St. Maarten and the EU Sudan and the EU Suriname and the EU Swaziland and the EU Switzerland and the EU Syria and the EU Taiwan and the EU Tajikistan and the EU Tanzania and the EU Thailand and the EU The African Union and the EU The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the EU The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the EU The Holy See and the EU The Republic of the Congo and the EU The Russian Federation and the European Union (EU) The UN in Rome and the EU The United Arab Emirates and the EU Timor-Leste and the EU Togo and the European Union Tonga and the EU Trinidad and Tobago and the EU Turkey Turkmenistan and the EU Turks and Caicos Islands and the EU Tuvalu and the EU Uganda and the EU Ukraine and the EU United States of America Uruguay and the EU Uzbekistan and the EU Vanuatu and the EU Venezuela y la UE Vietnam and the EU Wallis and Futuna and the EU West Bank and Gaza Strip, UNRWA and the EU Yemen and the EU Zambia and the EU Zimbabwe and the EU

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European Union External Action - European External Action ...