EPC Update – COVID-19/Omicron | New German Government | French Presidential Elections | Prospects for Franco-German Relations
YouTube, 03.12.2021
Online Briefing
At this EPC Update, moderated by Jacki Davis, EPC Director of Studies Janis A. Emmanouilidis, EPC Policy Analyst Johannes Greubel, and EPC Chief Executive Fabian Zuleeg dealt with two core topics.
Firstly, where we are with regard to the COVID-19 crisis. What are the potential consequences of the deteriorating situation? Are we again moving towards a (partial) lockdown in a number of member states? How might the new situation affect Europe's economic recovery and will EU countries re-impose travel restrictions, as in previous phases of the pandemic?
Secondly, we looked into the future and analyse key political developments in the weeks and months to come. How will the new German traffic light coalition position itself in the EU and what are the expectations in other member states? Will Chancellor Scholz follow in the footsteps of Angela Merkel and where can we expect the new government to pursue a different path? What potential consequences will the change of guard in Berlin have on the future of the Franco-German engine? Can we expect the new German coalition to be more open to EU reform proposals coming from Paris? How will the forthcoming presidential elections in France affect the French Council Presidency in the first half of 2022? Will President Macron be able to push the European agenda while fighting for his re-election in April? And how will all this affect the potential outcome of the Conference on the Future of Europe?
Link to video on YouTube here
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