The European Union (EU) faces immediate and long-term challenges as it responds to the changing nature of the 21st-century global order. While the EU is the world’s most successful multilateral institution that continues to attract applications from prospective member states, it faces the challenge of responding to the increasing support for populist political parties and dealing with erosion of democratic values within its member states. In this fully revised and updated third edition, Alasdair Blair examines the economic, political, personal, and social factors that have shaped the process of European integration since the end of the Second World War. Reflecting the most recent developments and presented in clear, accessible language, the book explores:The context of European integrationThe relations between the EU and its member statesThe evolution of the EU’s institutionsMethods of decision-makingKey EU policiesThe rise of populismThe crises that the EU has faced in the 21st centuryThe future direction of European integrationComprehensive and accessible, this book is an essential guide to understanding how the EU works and why it is even more important in the 21st century than when it was founded after the Second World War.