Schuman report on Europe - State of the union 2024 #823165

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH EMMANUEL MACRON

As it faces a critical moment of truth, is Europe finally developing its own strategy?

Without losing sight of its hopes and ambitions in terms of green and digital transition, energy autonomy, space and maritime conquest, research and innovation, the European Union has changed a great deal in the last five years — in the wake of the health crisis, and now with war at its borders — and it is beginning to shape its own geopolitical posture. Questions involving European sovereignty, defence and the definition of a common position vis-à-vis other world powers, in particular the United States and China, are leading to responses that are moving in the right direction.

By linking its future to that of Ukraine, the Union is meeting the security and strategic challenges facing our continent, while ensuring respect for fundamental rights and its duty of solidarity. By adapting its agricultural, budgetary, financial and trade instruments, it acknowledges the constant need to stimulate growth.

In this election year 2024, with a new balance among the 720 seats in the European Parliament, and the appointment of a new Commission, a great deal of hope is being placed on the European Union.

As it focuses on the major issues shaping the future of Europe, the Schuman Report on Europe, the State of the Union 2024 not only brings together eminent figures from the world of politics, foremost among them the President of the French Republic, the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Parliament, it also gives the floor to key players in business, research and diplomacy. Throughout the book, they share their analyses and visions of the added value that the European Union provides.

With the support of original maps and annotated statistical data, this book is an essential tool for understanding the multidimensional challenges facing Europe today.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pascale Joannin is managing director of the Robert Schuman Foundation