In 2005, when Member states reached a compromise on the 2007-2013 EU budget, the European economy was growing at a rate of approximately 2% (a rate considered at that time as a proof of “quasi sclerosis” in a world growing at annual rates of around 5 percent and with the US economy strongly rebounding at rates of 4 percent.). As today, national public finances were in bad shape, but middle-term economic forecasts were optimistic. From the perspective of solidarity, the challenges were clear: the Union had just accomplished the most ambitious enlargement in its history and there was no doubt that EU solidarity efforts must mostly focus on helping new members in their catch up process. Finally, the European integration project was affected by occasional crises but these were relatively minor and mostly of a politico-institutional nature.