Portrait photo of the Bertelsmann Stiftung Executive Board member, Daniela Schwarzer.

The Consequences of the Elections in France and the United Kingdom

What are the consequences of the elections in Great Britain and France? What impact do they have on the European Union? Daniela Schwarzer, Member of the Executive Board of the Bertelsmann Stiftung, and Matthias Matthijs, senior fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations and associate professor of international political economy at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, discuss the results in the podcast "The President’s Inbox."

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Foto Jochen Arntz
Jochen Arntz
Vice President Media Relations

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Daniela Schwarzer points to the first signals from the new British government, which is starting to re-establish closer relations with the European Union. Nevertheless, this is not an attempt to undo Brexit, says Daniela Schwarzer. But there is a keen interest on both sides in closer cooperation between the UK and the European Union. "And there is still a lot of work to be done."

An absolute majority for the Rassemblement National was prevented in the French elections. Nevertheless, the party increased its share of the vote by 60 percent. "This will change the political debate," warns Schwarzer. As a consequence, the RN's financial situation improves, it gives them more airtime, and they have the chance to shape the political debate. This is also important with a view to the next presidential election in 2027.

For the entire podcast, please refer to the link below.