What should the Presidents of the EU institutions do in their forthcoming term?

By Maria Demertzis

After every European election, as per tradition, Bruegel produces a series of Memos to the new Commissioners that will take office in Brussels. Today we publish the first of the twenty Memos, which is addressed to the Presidents of the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament.

Our message is that the European Union will need to overcome divisions to deal with the multiple threats it faces now and in the future. Multiple crises over the past five years have left the EU in a bruised state. Much has been achieved but the challenges ahead are multiple and solving them involves complex trade-offs. From continuing to support Ukraine to accelerating climate action, at home and globally, all the way to restoring cohesion and promoting growth, the new EU leadership and countries must find common ground to achieve scale. This is all happening at a point when the global situation is becoming more fragmented and increasingly hostile.

In our memo we outline twelve recommendations on how to promote the most important four objectives in the next five years: 1) stimulate growth and enhance cohesion in the EU; 2) safeguard the Green Deal and extend its global reach; 3) strengthen the EU’s economic and overall security and 4) reform the EU’s decision-making to prepare for enlargement.

We urge the new leadership not to shy away from difficult conversations and to become pragmatic about the way that EU integration works. Reform from within must be a part of dealing with the big challenges the EU will face in the coming legislative term.

Read the Memo addressed to the EU leadership, written by Maria Demertzis, André Sapir and Jeromin Zettelmeyer: 'Overcome divisions and confront threats: Memo to the Presidents of the European Commission, Council and Parliament '.