Editor's Note: This assessment is part of a series of analyses supporting Stratfor's upcoming 2019 Annual Forecast. These assessments are designed to provide more context and in-depth analysis on key developments in the coming year. 2019 is shaping up to be an extraordinary year for the European Union. A few months after the United Kingdom leaves the union in March, the bloc will elect a new European Parliament. That election will be followed with the selection of a new European Commission and new presidents of the European Central Bank and the European Council. This will be the first time in EU history that posts and seats in so many key institutions have been filled in the same year.