The State of the European Union. The European Parliament faces its most important elections yet

RIGHT-WING POPULISM IN THE EU: A THREAT TO THE INTEGRATION PROCESS 55 The key outcome from the December sum- mit is that macro-economic stabilisation of the eurozone, the core element of all EMU reform proposals since the Barroso blueprint in 2011, has been laid to rest. Overall, it can be observed that re-nationali- sation in significant policy areas due to right- wing populism prevents deepening of the inte- gration process. Also considering Brexit, and the way that right-wing populism is increasingly undermining democracy and the rule of law in key states in Eastern Europe, the EU’s inability to act is clearly growing, and with it the threat it faces.