The Gilded Cage

The scenario

The Gilded Cage is an oil painting by Evelyn De Morgan, her final work before her death in 1919. It is essentially an allegory for female captivity.

The year is 2030 and the EU was able to create a unique identity for all its residents. Though the EU has succeeded in integrating its member states and keeping its membership intact, it is a far cry from the economic and political progress that its creators had envisaged.

The 2009 financial crisis rocked the EU economy, which was till then growing and stable.

The growth of the emergent economies of BRIICS (Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, China & South Africa) shifted the global focus from EU to these new regions. The EU at this point held lesser significance than the fast developing countries.

Since then, EU's economy is stable and the political environment is progressive, but the growth is not significant to crow about.

Graphical timeline