Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament’s Post

The atmosphere and tone of the European Union will change, and will be charged by a political battlefield on its values and principles #european_business_review #EBR #european #business #review #news #europe #world

Over three rounds focused on the future of the Single Market, Economic Security, and the upcoming negotiations for the 2028 – 2036 EU budget, the conversation took an in-depth look at key economic topics that will shape the lives of Europeans in the years to come. 

This issue alone shows the danger of continuing Brussels on course as if nothing changed. "Center holds" is the post-election mantra, but the contracting center, encroaching hard-right contingency (about 200 votes, once the dust settles), coupled with increasingly desperate business leaders calling for regulations that allow industry to exist shows that a fundamental change at the helm is needed. This is not an isolated issue, of course. Government reaction to renowned business leaders becoming desperate should be increased concern over direction, not outrage at the language or tone used. Politicians usually claim - post election - that they "listened to the people". But with many people saying different things (often mutually exclusive), the risk is that governments listen only to those people that agree with them. We'll soon see whether that happens in Europe. The European Council, meeting shortly, better draw the right conclusions from what is happening in Europe and send us in a new direction, while we still can. Continuing as if nothing happened is something we will quickly regret.

In Letta's report, there are some key messages to European policy makers concerning the establishment of a 5th freedom to enhance research, innovation and education in the Single Market:   ⚡ Strengthen the development and deployment of new technologies ⚡ Establish trusted networks in leading industrial ecosystems capable of producing entities of global importance within Europe ⚡ Actively encourage public-private partnerships in strategic areas focused on knowledge exchange and innovation uptake ⚡ Establishing a strong European technological infrastructure ⚡ Implement European strategies characterized by a definitive vision and centralised coordination, which are able to draw in substantial private investments in R&I ⚡ Enhance green and digital industrial public investments ⚡ Improve investments in circular economy   “The European Union's difficulty in converting its research potential into European industries competing in global markets stems from various factors. A coordinated and comprehensive European technology policy would undertake the broad, long-term investments necessary for ambitious and costly technological development.”

European Parliament - Ten issues to watch in 2025 Source: https://lnkd.in/gYkFkdBR #europe #eu #10issues #2025outlook Highlights: The ninth edition of this annual publication presents 10 issues to watch in 2025, selected by the Members' Research Service of the European Parliament. Some of these issues feature high on the 2025 European political agenda as they reflect the three pillars of the 'competitiveness compass' that the von der Leyen II Commission has identified for its 2024-2029 mandate: balancing scale with innovation for productivity, setting the 2040 climate target, and taking the next steps towards European economic security. Other subjects are more specific, such as waiting to move up a gear: European electric cars, and helping the EU compete on artificial intelligence. For some issues, progress has long been too slow and new impetus is needed: strengthening the European defence industry, and speeding up the return of irregular migrants. All these issues, as well as other issues beyond this list of 10, require financial means and investment, which in turn raises the additional challenge of shaping the EU's future finances and strengthening capacity to invest in the future. The overarching issue of restoring trust in the public sphere – in traditional news media, social media, governments and institutions, and business – meanwhile affects all of the above. As a new political cycle begins for the European institutions, with the latest mandates having started on 1 December 2024, this list of issues could seem daunting. Alternatively, they can be seen as a list of new opportunities for the European Union to assert itself, bounce back, and move ahead. History teaches that it has been when under the pressure of events that the European Union (EU) has made most progress. It is already becoming clear how Russia's war on Ukraine and changes in transatlantic relations have made the EU move ahead on security and defence. The challenges that are accumulating are the very same that offer the EU a chance to get stronger and assert itself on the world stage. These issues demand choices; they also offer opportunities. The European Parliament, as the place for debate among directly elected members and as co-legislator, will have an important role to play when it comes to deciding on the EU's future course. The year 2025 will be a year of decisions – a theme that runs through this publication – as illustrated by its cover image. These choices – these decisions – call for independent, objective and authoritative information: the motto of the European Parliamentary Research Service. EPRS publications rely on research, robust facts and figures, and informed analysis to provide the European Parliament's Members with the elements they need to do their work, and ultimately build the trust that must underpin any democracy.

As members of the ITRE research committee plan their political futures, we have compiled an overview of the movers and shakers in EU research and innovation policy https://lnkd.in/dRrrr3tk

Looking forward to today’s e-talk at European Commission EU Policymaking Hub on ‘Europe in the World in 2024: Trends, transitions, and trade-offs.’     🇪🇺 2024 is a big electoral year, including elections for the European Parliament. It is also a year to prepare for a new EU institutional cycle. While the focus of many in and around the Union will be on the short-term, the European Commission should be laying the foundations for the long-term. The COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine, and the return of war to the Middle East accelerated and sharpened key global trends that have an impact on the EU. What is more, they influence and are accompanied by what can be termed the “poly-transitions.” Beyond the existing green, and digital/tech transitions, the EU is now experiencing important changes in its economic model, in its geopolitical outlook, and in its demographic dynamics. In an age of limited resources, what are the trade-offs and priorities that the new Commission should be focusing on? This e-talk will discuss the trends, the transitions, and the trade-offs that Europeans need to deal with to face a more competitive, contested and even conflictual world. Viktoria Kovacs Tatjana Verrier, Ph.D

European Union #breakingnews The European Parliament has approved the "von der Leyen II" European Commission with 370 votes in favor, 282 against, and 36 abstentions. The new College of Commissioners is expected to take office on December 1, 2024. Ursula von der Leyen presented her team and program, emphasizing the Commission's commitment to #freedom, #sovereignty, #security, and #prosperity. The first initiative of the new European Commission will be a #competitiveness compass to close Europe's #innovationgap with the #US and #China. The European Commission will continue to focus on the European #GreenDeal, a #clean #industrial #deal, and a #competitive #circulareconomy. Strengthening Europe's security and defense is a priority, especially in light of ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and parts of Africa. #DraghiReport #InvestmentGap #CompetitivenessGap #InnovationGap #InnovationSystem #InnovationEcosystem #RiskAversion #IntangibleAssetFinance

Former Italian prime minister Enrico #Letta, in his report on the single market issued and discussed by EU leaders in April, proposed a fifth freedom as a top priority, to encompass research, innovation, data and knowledge that have become indispensable drivers of innovation in modern economies Here Bertin Martens argues that research and innovation should be at the top of the EU economic policy agenda, but cannot over-rely on public investment https://lnkd.in/e6w5uRD6

I am currently reading Högt över havet (High over the sea), a book by SvD reporters Maggie Strömberg and Torbjörn Nilsson about the crucial time in March-May of 2022 that ended with the Social Democratic government of Sweden applying for membership in NATO.   Really looking forward to finish this book since it brings actors and processes to the forefront of foreign policy. I am impressed by the level of access that the authors got to the foreign policy elite of Sweden but still a little bit disappointed as a researcher because so far in the book there are no footnotes and clear references :-) And just like Bob Woodward’s books, while it is clear in some parts it is hard to really grasp what are the actual factual circumstances and what is the narrative addition by the authors themselves. I would love to have access to their empirical material. I wrote my doctoral dissertation on the construction of foreign policy consensus for Swedish military contributions to Afghanistan during the ISAF years. In Sweden there has historically been an informal bipartisanship in foreign policy (the center right Moderate party and the center-left Social Democrats). My diss. ended up being a story about the Social Democrats in opposition and how they worked to balance the ideological width of the party in support for deployments to Afghanistan. For the NATO process, the Social Democrats are in government and this story is about them as well. The easiest way to accommodate change is to attach it to the changing circumstances. In the diss. I use the foreign policy line (utrikespolitiska linjen) to theoretically construct the prevailing consensus understanding of foreign policy in Sweden. So, how did the Social Democrats construct and frame Swedish foreign policy to 1) accommodate opposition within the party, 2) align with the foreign policy line, and 3) adapt to the changing security environment. Without a proper analysis, my quick answer would be that Finland is the key. It would be really interesting to research more closely the framing of foreign policy in relation to how the decision-making process unfolded. Those close to me know that I have a folder with a book project: A neutral’s road to NATO. Maybe reading this book will finally push me a little bit and remove the final obstacle for me to start researching and writing it.