Dear Reader,
Summer break is almost here in political Europe – and before we head to beaches, lakes, and mountains, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on recent developments and offer a quick preview of what’s coming next.
Last week: a bold EU budget proposal
The European Commission presented its proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) – a once-every-seven-years moment. Hopes are always high that this will be the time real reform happens. Usually, those hopes are disappointed. But not this time: the Commission put forward a bold package to modernise how the EU budget works. For anyone who believes the EU needs to act faster and more effectively, this is welcome news. You’ll find my first take in the Bluesky thread below – and we’ll be covering the negotiations closely over the next two years.
This week: China in focus
On Monday, our expert group on Europe’s response to the “new China shock” met for the third time. And on Thursday, Commission President von der Leyen and Council President Costa will meet Premier Li Qiang in Beijing for the EU–China Summit. In her latest piece, my colleague Cora Jungbluth outlines why expectations for this format should be modest – and what the EU should focus on.
Looking ahead to autumn: plenty in the pipeline
We’ll return with a full agenda, from cutting bureaucratic red tape the right way to the new Emissions Trading Scheme for buildings and transport, and from EU–MENA policy to trade.
Two highlights:
- In September, we’ll launch our Geoeconomic Interconnectivity Index, measuring how strongly the EU is linked to 21
countries in its eastern and southern neighbourhood – and how China, the U.S., and Russia compare.
- At the same time, we’ll start exploring European space policy, with our Senior Expert Torben Schütz taking the lead,
building on work by our colleagues in Washington, DC.
With that, we wish you a great summer. See you in September!
Best from Berlin,
Lucas Guttenberg
Director, Europe’s Future Programme
