Europe at its limits

Welcome to the simulation Europe at its limits.

We will simulate in 2 parts, whereby the first part is preceded by a preparatory phase to research data on the current situation.

Meetings of the European Council, as they are played out in Part I of this simulation, have taken place in recent years, sometimes on a monthly basis. In the process, the events overlapped:

• More and more people fleeing war, persecution and hunger came to Europe from the countries of the Middle East, especially via the so-called "Balkan route". Tens of thousands of refugees, organised by smuggling gangs, boarded boats in North Africa to reach the European coast. The Balkan route has been closed in the meantime, rescue boats patrol the Mediterranean, border protection organisations try to keep people out of Europe. So far, however, all attempts to find an effective and sustainable solution to the problem have failed.

• The "Dublin procedure", which regulates immigration to Europe, temporarily collapsed. The search for a "fair distribution key" according to which refugees are to be allocated to member countries continues. A Europe-wide fixed quota to limit refugee numbers has not been decided; there are only plans for emergency redistribution. However, some member states are blocking the implementation of these plans. Instead, efforts are now being stepped up to create conditions in the countries of origin that will regulate the flight to Europe in the short term and curb it in the long term.

Europe is struggling to find solutions to an explosive and complex problem. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that politicians and parties that propagate seemingly simple solutions are enjoying enormous popularity. Great Britain has decided to leave the EU, not least because of the refugee situation, and wants to go its own way. So-called "right-wing populist" politicians in several European countries want to follow this example and are stirring up anti-European sentiment. And suddenly there is also a paradigm shift in US foreign policy: away from transnational cooperation, towards protectionism and the emphasis on nation-state interests. In short, the community of European states is facing a huge challenge.

In Part II, an allocation has taken place and a (small) country must now decide which of the three applicants will be admitted.