EU faces challenges 25 years after Maastricht Treaty

Brexit and the refugee crisis are threatening the European dream.

The Maastricht Treaty which paved the way for greater European unity was signed in Maastricht, Netherlands on February 7, 1992.
TRT World and Agencies

The Maastricht Treaty which paved the way for greater European unity was signed in Maastricht, Netherlands on February 7, 1992.

It has been 25 years since 12 members of the European Community signed the Maastricht Treaty in Maastricht, Netherlands on February 7, 1992, paving the way for today's European Union and the Euro currency.

The agreement was part of a post-World War II dream in much of Europe to unite the continent and end the possibility of another devastating war.

Today, the EU has 28 member states, a population of about half a billion and an internal market that makes up a fifth of global GDP.

But the union is also facing its biggest challenges since inception.

Britons voted to leave and a refugee crisis triggered by war and instability in neighbouring countries and in parts of Africa have reignited nationalist passions.

TRT World's Sarah Morice has this look at the state of the union on the 25th anniversary of its inception.

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