Elections Shaping the Future of Europe: Catastrophe Avoided, Challenge Accepted

Contrary to the initial fears, the most catastrophic scenario on the disintegration of the EU has been avoided. The challenge of reforming the Union, however, lies ahead.

2017
10
November
10:00h

Performed activity

Location:

Sala Jordi Maragall, CIDOB, Carrer Elisabets, 12, 08001 Barcelona

Organized by:

CIDOB with the support of the Secretariat for Foreign and European Union Affairs of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Europe for Citizens programme

The year 2017 has been decisive for the European project. After the UK becoming the first country that voluntarily decided to leave the European Union, in 2017 four key member states –the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom and Germany- will have held elections just after celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.  

In the Netherlands, Geert Wilders, carrying a Europhobic and anti-Islam message, threatened to bring the “international populist alliance” to his country, after the victories of Trump and Brexit. In France, Marine Le Pen promised to reintroduce the national currency and a referendum on France's membership to the EU. The proposals of Le Pen and Wilders were both defeated in the polls and, with Macron’s victory, a pro-European antidote has emerged.  

In June, Theresa May held early elections to take advantage of the alleged Labour's weakness and obtain a large majority in the parliament legitimising her hard Brexit. It did not work and, since then, the Brexitmandate is less clear. Finally, in Germany, the re-election of Merkel will set the scene for the reform of the EU and the re-establishment of the Franco-German axis. The only uncertainty is coming from the role that her probable allies of the potential Jamaican coalition will play.  

This seminar will analyse the extent to which these elections have shaped the European agenda and their impact for the future of the EU. Contrary to the initial fears, the most catastrophic scenario on the disintegration of the EU has been avoided. The challenge of reforming the Union, however, lies ahead.