The EU most certainly does not lack challenges these days, ranging from social to economic. The Brexit drama gets most of the headlines, but the economic slowdown it is currently experiencing should really be more concerning. Brexit might just aggravate things, but things are already looking bleak even without it. Germany experienced a negative quarter, and it is forecast to see a further contraction of -0.1% this quarter, which is an official recession. The only part of the EU which is currently experiencing relatively robust growth is the Eastern, former Communist part. That growth is