Buy-side Perspectives Issue 9 | Page 6

THE WESTERLY WINDS REFORM BRUISED BUT NOT BROKEN The European Union remains intact for at least another 5 years Kristian Karppi, Managing Director, K&K Global Consulting Ltd At first, 2017 seemed to be a year where the ship of established and moderate political parties in Europe were going to navigate through a rough sea of pointy rocks of anti- establishment sentiment among their voting population. Despite increasing polarisation, the world has not yet entirely abandoned humanitarian ambitions as evidenced by the defeat of populistic anti-immigration parties in Austria, Netherlands, Finland and France. The established political parties in Europe have now started changing their positioning to at least appear to be doing something against the threats that the voting population have indicated they are not happy with. 6 www.buysideintel.com Summer 2017