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After the present European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected for a second term in the office this July, she revealed the next EU-wide political guidelines for 2024-2029 and defined a set of collective objectives for the years to come with clear targets and priority areas. Facing the greatest challenges, the guidelines include numerous previous and new directions: i.e. from security to climate change, to competitiveness, sustainability, energy issues, etc.
Background
This year’s European Parliament elections have shown that almost 500 million people in the EU-27 with various cultural traditions, complex histories and different perspectives, etc. are still unanimous in building a shared “European future and identity”. These efforts would make Europe more than just an “EU-project”; the goals are to construct a “uniquely designed and united in diversity” region in the world, noted the Commission President.
The European voters during Parliament election expressed hopes and aspirations for a healthier and more prosperous future. But they also pointed to some aspects of growing anxiety and uncertainty: it is apparent that Europeans are having “real doubts and concerns about the instabilities and insecurities”: from the cost of living, housing and doing business to the ways such urgent issues as migration are handled, including national security and wellbeing. They also pointed out that too often the EU institutions were not reacting fast to numerous vital issues, that the EU bureaucracy is “either too distant or too burdensome”.
Present era of profound changes for member states’ socio-economic development, the EU-wide security, economic progress, as well as the global growth. And the speed of occurring changes might be destabilizing and quite often could lead to worries and a sense of “loss for the world as it used to be and the world as it will be”.
All of these expectations and concerns are real, legitimate and must be responded to; with this in mind, the Commission believes that it is essential that “the democratic centre in Europe holds”, although “the centre must live up to the scale of the concerns and the challenges that people face in their lives”. Failures in these expectations would only fuel resentment and polarization while “leaving a fertile ground for those who peddle simplistic solutions but in reality want to destabilize our societies”, she noted.
References and citations from: https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/e6cd4328-673c-4e7a-8683-f63ffb2cf648_en?filename=Political%20Guidelines%202024-2029_EN.pdf.
Modern European options and “choices”
The President noted several challenges behind progressive member states political economy’s reactions and solutions:
= A choice to either face up to the uncertain world separately by the states or unite the block’s efforts around common solutions and European values.
= A choice to be dependent and let the divisions weaken the EU’s integration, or to be bold in the EU-wide ambition and actions, by working with partners around the world.
= A choice to ignore new realities or the speed of change; i.e. either be “clear-eyed about the world and threats” as they really are.
= A choice to let the extremists and appeasers prevail, or to ensure that the EU-wide democratic forces stay strong.
Thus, one of the first priorities is EU-wide sustainable prosperity and global competitiveness: the “prosperity plan” include the following elements: = making business easier and deepen the EU’s single market, = implementing “clean industrial deal” to decarbonise and bring down energy prices, = putting research and innovation at the heart of the states’ economy, = boosting productivity with greater involvement of digital technology’s solutions, = massively investing in the EU and the states’ sustainable competitiveness, and = tackling the EU-wide skills and labour gaps.
European economy: present situation
The newly re-elected European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, put restoring competitiveness in the center of the Union’s political priorities for the next five years; the European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde noted “that Europe’s competitive position vis-à-vis China” had acquired growing importance in the bank’s strategy.
A long-awaited report by former ECB president Mario Draghi, now due in September 2024, is expected to provide more detail, and help set the Commission’s economic agenda for the years to come. In a recent speech in Spain, Draghi underscored the importance of cheaper energy as a driver of economic growth but also he appeared to allow greater scope for state-driven investment and trade-protection measures.
Source: https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-manufacturing-industry-slump-weakened-eurozone-economy-energy/
Overall growth in the EU-27 was steady at 0.3 percent in the first half of 2024, and at 0.6 percent compared to the second quarter of last year. Thus, among the largest member states, Spain posted the strongest quarterly growth, with 0.8 percent, followed by France and Italy which expanded by 0.3 percent and 0.2 percent respectively. Germany’s GDP, the eurozone’s largest economy was contracting 0.1 percent quarter-on-quarter basis showing “disappointing hopes that it had finally left stagnation behind”; economists had projected a 0.1 percent increase in GDP. But the Germany’s bad news in economy go on: inflation edged up again this July to 2.6 percent, instead of falling to 2.4 as expected, raising the prospect that Germany’s prolonged stagflation will continue in the coming quarters; business surveys have already pointed to a further deterioration… However, inflation fell in Spain to 2.9 percent this year, below an analyst consensus of 3.3 percent; in Belgium, it decelerated to 3.6 percent from 3.7 percent in June; analysts expect the eurozone’s level would be stable at 2.5 percent. It has to be added that generally inflation has come down lately: e.g. by nine percentage points off its peak in Germany and seven points off in Spain.
Source: https://www.politico.eu/article/eurozone-economy-grows-faster-than-expected-in-q2/
Main perspective priorities
In view of the critical global security’s situation and besides the mentioned above guidance’s aspects, the following priority aspects in the EU development are to be specifically mentioned:
= New aspects in European defence and security, which include such policy’s parameters as: building a true European Defence Union (with a new Commissioner for Defence), – new “preparedness” to deal with crises and security (with strengthening cyber defence capabilities), – new European internal security strategy (with the European arrest warrant and European action plan against drug trafficking, as well as new European Critical Communication System to be used by public authorities in charge of security and safety), – delivering on the Pact on Migration and Asylum, etc.
= Strengthening member states’ societies and the EU’s social model, i.e. the so-called “European way of life” with the following priorities: – working on a new Action Plan on the Implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, – just transition for all and a new “quality jobs roadmap”, – establishing a first-ever EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, – strengthened regional cohesion and growth policy, – reuniting societies and supporting young people, – new Gender Equality Strategy for post-2025, etc.
= Sustaining European quality of life with adequate food security, water and nature; the following priorities are underlined: – presenting a “Vision for Agriculture and Food” in the first 100 days in the Office; – rewarding farmers “cooperating with nature”, preserving biodiversity and natural ecosystems and helping to decarbonise economy on the way to net- zero by 2050; – supporting competitiveness of the entire food value chain, – appointing a Fisheries and Oceans Commissioner tasked with ensuring the sector remains sustainable, competitive and resilient and with upholding a level playing field for the European fisheries chain; – climate adaptation, preparedness and solidarity; –
= Protecting democracy, upholding European values: – proposing new “European Democracy Shield”, i.e. working to counter foreign information manipulation and interference online, building on the examples of Viginum in France or the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency; – focusing on societal resilience and preparedness, through increased digital and media literacy and boosting prevention financial fraud; – strengthening the rule of law through investment in upholding the rule of law, e.g. Commission will propose that EU funding also be dedicated to national measures, for example on fighting corruption and protecting the EU financial interests; – continue enforcement through infringements and the reinforced application of the Article 7 mechanism to be used effectively, including in a future enlarged Union; – implementing the European Media Freedom Act and increase support for and protection of independent media and journalists, etc.
= Global Europe: leveraging Union’s power and partnerships, with the following priorities: – new foreign and security policy must be designed in view of present shift from cooperation to competition in international affairs (i.e. the EU acknowledges “weaponization” of all types of policies, from energy to migration and the climate; – supporting the EU’s enlargement process as a geopolitical imperative; – more strategic approach to the EU’s neighbourhood with more focused approach to “wider neighbourhood, especially the Mediterranean” (e.g. a new Commissioner for Mediterranean region will be appointed); – creating a wider comprehensive EU-Middle East Strategy; – a new economic foreign policy combining two vital components in modern world: geo-politics and geo-economics; – reshaping multilateralism for today’s world, i.e. Europe will play a leading role in reforming the international system.
= Delivering together and preparing the EU for the future, alongside the following priorities: – new multi-annual EU-27 budget shall be fit for the EU-wide politico-economic ambitions (i.e. these ambitions require a strengthened and modernized revenue system in the EU budget); – an ambitious reform agenda to ensure the proper functioning of a larger Union, to ensure that the EU is equipped to tackle modern geopolitical challenges, improving democratic legitimacy and citizens’ participation; – strengthen the partnership between the European Commission and the European Parliament (e.g. to ensure that Commissioners will be more present in the Parliaments’ respective committees).
General reference to: https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/e6cd4328-673c-4e7a-8683-f63ffb2cf648_en?filename=Political%20Guidelines%202024-2029_EN.pdf