ST. PETERSBURG, June 21. /TASS/. Karin Kneissl, ex-Austrian foreign minister and head of the Geopolitical Observatory for Russia’s Key Issues (G.O.R.K.I.) center at St. Petersburg State University, doubts that the European Union will exist in its present form a few years later.
When asked by TASS on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum whether Ukraine can join the European Union in five years, or ten, or even later, she replied: "I’m not sure that the European Union will exist in its present form by that moment."
Kneissl went on to say that since mid 1990s, the European Union has been expanding without deepening integration.
"Attempted reforms, such as the adoption of a common constitution, have failed. Other mechanisms failed, too. And, since the reinforcement of ties has failed, expansion has begun," she continued.
"We are seeing internal crises, which have no relation to the Russian factor. I mean the conflict of values and differences in the energy policy - between Brussels and Budapest, between Brussels and Warsaw. Ukraine is just one of many acute issues," she said.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is taking place from June 18-21. The event’s theme is "Shared Values: The Foundation of Growth in a Multipolar World." The Roscongress Foundation is the event’s organizer. TASS is its media partner.