The European Union is experiencing its most challenging period since the beginning of its
institutional history. In fact over the last fifteen years multiple crises have posed severe
strains on the Union. This study avails of the term polycrisis to best represent this peculiar
time. Polycrisis is a two-fold word. On the one hand poly has to be interpreted as many from
the ancient Greek p¿¿¿¿(polús). This multitude refers to the several crises that undermine the
European Union. On the other hand poly as city from p¿¿¿¿ (polis) understood as a European
community whose principles and values are now under pressure. Closely linked to some specific
policy areas this polycrisis is also an institutional crisis whose postponements
uncertainties and internal rifts have characterised these years. The survival of the European
Union is at stake and this potential destructiveness is the starting point for the study of
the polycrisis. From this perspective the European Union must choose between two options. The
first implies remaining a half-completed project failing to solve its internal crises and
surrendering to decline. The second implies that the Union bears the responsibility for the
polycrisis rediscovering its potentiality in order to solve its longstanding issues and
partially changing itself to assure its own political future. This work focuses on the second
option by analyzing the multiple crises determining the crises for which the EU is responsible
and ultimately proposing a feasible solution.
