In 2016, former European Commission President Jacques Delors said that if EU policies “jeopardize cohesion and sacrifice social standards,” then “the European project has no chance of winning the support of European citizens.” In the wake of this month’s European Parliament election, Delors’s observation seems more pertinent than ever. Following the far right’s sizable gains, the […]
While the Members of the European Parliament confirmed Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission yesterday, the French MEPs re-elected Yaël Braun-Pivet, the current President of the National Assembly, to the office.This is a stage victory for President Emmanuel Macron, who has been heavily criticized for his decision to dissolve parliament just […]
The debate on the future of cohesion policy is gaining momentum. With around a third of the EU budget, it is moving to the center of the upcoming negotiations for the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028 to 2034. With the final report of the Centre for European Economic Research published on Monday, Christian Lindner built a […]
Europe is at a critical juncture. As it grapples with a rapidly changing global order, a far-reaching technological revolution, and the climate crisis, decisive action is needed. Lawmakers from across Europe must be hard at work to make people safer, and better off. There is no successful course of action that doesn’t involve doubling down […]
During the 2024 European elections, a wonderful EU was often evoked: four million square kilometers with almost 450 million people, in which people, goods, services and finances can move freely, benefiting the economy and citizens alike. A nice story, after all these fundamental freedoms are indeed among the EU’s greatest achievements.But reality looks different. The […]
Based on data from the European Commission, the EU is currently dependent on imports from abroad for more than 80% of digital products, services, and infrastructures. This ever-increasing one-sided dependency on large tech companies – primarily from the USA and China – must be seen as a clear call to action for the new EU […]
Following the 2019 European Parliament elections, Brussels was focused on climate action. Sustainability and transformation were the dominant themes. Von der Leyen’s response: The Green Deal. Five years later, everything seems different. Concerns about security, migration and deindustrialization are at the forefront. From a corporate perspective, however, the answer remains the same: The Green Deal […]
With the victory of Keir Starmer’s Labour Party in the UK general election, a long series of political misjudgments and personal shortcomings by the British Tories were harshly punished after 14 years in power. An absolute majority of 172 is reminiscent of Tony Blair in 1997, while on the Conservative side 11 cabinet members lost […]
The ailing competitiveness of European industries is one of the major challenges facing Ursula von der Leyen at the start of her second term of office. The heads of state and government of the European Union agreed on Thursday to nominate her for a second term as President of the European Commission. The European Parliament’s […]
This was certainly not French President Emmanuel Macron’s plan. The political bomb he detonated just one hour after the results of the European elections was intended to strengthen his camp in the showdown with the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) – by seeking votes on the left.Now, however, the opposite is the case. Contrary to all […]