Our values our best defence against barbarians

The Era of Great Stabilisation in Europe ushered in shortly after the Second World War has lasted 70 years but is under threat, writes European Council President Donald Tusk.

The year 2016 will go down in European history as a time of striving to maintain the political, systemic, and social unity of the European Union as a community of countries, people, and values. It was a time of uncertainty and highly visible failures. But it was also a year marked by real achievements.

Above all, Britain’s vote in June to exit the EU stands out as a bitter disappointment. And yet a new pan-European consensus on the protection the EU’s external borders, together with the conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with Canada, warrants cautious optimism.