Europe's summer parliamentary recess gave eurozone countries some time to prepare their strategies for the final months of the year. With the return to full political activity, Europe will be forced to seek answers to the questions left open after the European summit in June. During the summit, eurozone leaders discussed a series of proposals aimed at mitigating the effects of the European economic crisis. These proposals revolved around three key points: the role of the European Central Bank, the role of the European Stability Mechanism (the eurozone's permanent bailout fund), and the creation of a banking union. Since that time, eurozone members have made little progress in solving the strategic differences between the center and the periphery, and at the same time have struggled to settle disputes within their own political structures. The next four months will test the ability of the bloc's members to overcome their differences and agree on common measures to tackle the economic crisis.
