September 2023
Dear Readers,
As summer ends and autumn approaches, Brussels politics is back in full swing, with Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union address re-iterating the EU’s push for a stronger geopolitical role in a dangerous world. We followed the event on our screens and put together a quick-fire assessment across eight themes – from Enlargement via the Global Gateway to Cohesion Policy – which you can re-read below.
We also look in some depth at the current expansion of the BRICS as a demonstration of the assertiveness of the Global South on the international stage, arguing that this development more likely reflects the ongoing process of global fragmentation.
Further analyses focus on India as an EU partner in the Indo-Pacific, the pros and cons of EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and on whether European Citizen Panels are a workable instrument to improve democracy in the EU.
Finally, we would like to draw your attention to an event on the Twin Transition with specific reference to Spain, which we will be hosting on October 17 with the Fondación Bertelsmann in Barcelona. We would be delighted to welcome you virtually or in person.
With warm wishes,
Stephan Vopel and Malte Zabel
Director and Co-Director
Europe’s Future Program
