The New Commission and Current Challenges for the EU

On 1st December, the members of the new Commission took office with Ursula von der Leyen as Commission President. Before the Parliamentary vote on 27th November, von der Leyen held that “Our Union will embark together on a transformation which will touch every part of our society and of our economy” while pointing to great ambitions for the future, with climate change and digitalisation being top priorities.

The vision set out by the Commission President shows a will to strengthen internal cooperation while increasing the EU’s importance on the global stage. However, with Brexit having been made official earlier this month and the negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 being underway, the member states have to decide on how future cooperation will look like. In a time of waning trust in the EU, the new commission can have an important role to play in regaining that trust and showing the benefits of a united Europe. But, there are great challenges to tackle. EU’s fundamental democratic values have been challenged by member states such as Poland and Hungary, EU-US bilateral relations have become increasingly strained not only in the field of trade, and people are still dying in the Mediterranean Sea in their search for a better life in Europe. These and more are all issues that will be addressed by us here at A Path for Europe.

We have five policy areas that we focus on; EU Foreign Affairs and Security, European Law, Finance, Trade and Internal Market, Migration and Environment. We will follow developments in these areas and analyse how the future of the EU can take shape. There is no clear path for the European Union but there are many ideas on how pressing issues should be dealt with and how policies can develop. We are looking forward to sharing those ideas hope to inspire to debate and increased engagement for the future of the Union.

/ Anette Sonnbäck and Oliver Pollakowsky