Since it occupies 2.8% of the world’s land mass and has 5.9% of its population, 13.9% of the UN’s members, 18.6% of the planet’s GDP and provides 55.2% of public aid to the world, the European Union truly is a world leader. European integration began after the Second World War, on the occasion of the speech delivered by Robert Schuman on 9th May 1950. Successive enlargements have brought the number of Member States up from 6 to 28. After Brexit, the Union now has 27 Member States. Deepening that was formalised by the various treaties has given the Union competences in a great number of areas, from agriculture to space policy. At a time when many challenges, ranging from economic, health, migratory, security to geopolitical, are being thrown at the European Union, it is asserting itself as a bulwark against the devastating effects of nationalist withdrawal.