FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Horst Teltschik said the bureaucratic European Union (EU) is struggling in the face of a catastrophic euro crisis that continues to “gain tract” and a sensational Brexit vote, which prompted an “erosion” of its powers. Hinting that a break-up of the Union is more than likely, Mr Telthschik said the bloc’s main players France and Germany were “stuttering”. The German politician said: “European integration was the peacemaking response of the Europeans to the catastrophe of two world wars.

GETTY Horst Teltschik has warned the EU to act now

GETTY The former chancellor advisor warned of more terror attacks

We are witnessing an erosion of the EU Horst Teltschik

“No generation in Europe has ever been able to live in peace, freedom and prosperity for seventy years. “We are witnessing an erosion of the EU with the euro crisis, with Brexit and the emergence of populist movements in France, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria or Italy and the authoritarian Eastern neighbours, especially in Poland, Hungary, Romania.” Speaking of the embattled Brussels club, Mr Teltschik added: "The European Commission is overwhelmed with criticism almost every day, often enough by those who make the decisions, or rather don't make them, for the EU at the European Council. “The German-French engine has been stuttering for years.” Mr Teltschik also issued a chilling warning, telling Europeans to brace for an ongoing migrant crisis, which he says has only just begun, along with more Islamist-inspired terror attacks.

He said: “The refugee wave is only the beginning. Millions of Arabs, Africans, Pakistani, Afghans, and others, tormented by war, terror and poverty, are looking for new life perspectives. “The communist ideology is dead. Today, we are witnessing a totalitarian and murderous Islamism with its terrorist acts, that are spreading across borders. No upper limits or video surveillance will help with this. “This is like treating the symptoms, only worse. This removes the responsibility of politicians from the obligation to think about strategies about what we can do together in Europe with other partners to solve the problems in Africa, the Middle East, and even in Asia.” Despite only coming into operation in 1999, the quality of the Eurozone has been called into question on numerous occasions, especially following the Great Recession. Eurozone countries were not able to devalue their currency to remain competitive on the international market during the crisis, meaning the ever closer union with member states had terrible consequences for the financial state of the continent.

GETTY The crumbling EU is on the brink of war

Writing for Online Focus, he added: “The euro crisis continues to gain tract. An economic union or even a political union are uncertain. “Great powers such as China, India, Russia and the USA have begun to redistribute their points of interest all over the world, politically, economically, but also in terms of security policy. Europe threatens to fail as a team player. “And no single country in Europe has the potential to take on an equal role, not Germany, France or England. Even if some in London are dreaming about it." Concluding that the the embattled European Union is “failing as a team player” and turning its back on its past experiences in the wake of a Cold War, he asks: “What Europe do we want?

GETTY Brexit has stemmed a rise in nationalism