IDM Short Insights 40: Europe Speech 2024: Key future challenges for the EU

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The Europe Speech is an annual event where presidents and chairs of European institutions and committees share their perspectives on the EU’s future. In 2024, David McAllister, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the European Parliament, delivered the Europe Speech. He addressed key challenges the EU will face in the upcoming legislative period, focusing on issues such as climate policy, migration, and the importance of a robust EU defence and foreign policy. In the latest Short Insight, IDM Research Associate Sophia Beiter reports from Berlin and presents the most important takeaways from this year’s Europe Speech.

Transcript:

The Europe Speech is an annual speech, organised by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, where presidents and chairs of EU institutions, organisations and committees share their perspectives on the future of the EU. In that way, this speech also intends to foster a better connection between the EU citizens and their highest representatives. Here are five key facts you need to know about the 15th Europe Speech in 2024.

WHO
In previous years, leaders such as Charles Michel, Ursula von der Leyen and Roberta Metsola gave the Europe Speech. This year, the address was given by David McAllister, who is the Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and in that role oversees and contributes to shaping the EU’s foreign policy.

WHERE and WHEN
As a symbol of a united Europe, the Europe Speech every year takes place on or around the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall at its historic site in Berlin. This year, the Europe Speech took place on 7th November in the Allianz Forum next to the Brandenburg gate.

TOPICS
Just a few days after the U.S. presidential elections and one day after the collapse of the German government, David McAllister used his speech to explore the future of the EU in the next legislative period. He spoke about the milestones, the EU already managed to meet, future challenges, especially also regarding the transatlantic relations, and the need to support Ukraine

LOOKING BACK

In the light of the results of the US elections, David McAllister started his speech with a – also still to our times fitting – quote by Konrad Adenauer from 1950. Adenauer back then said: What does Europe live on? It lives by the grace of the United States. But it will not always be this way. One day, Europe will and must be able to help itself again and stand on its own two feet. 

KEY CHALLENGES

McAllister mentioned the five key challenges for the next EU legislative period:

  1. Competitiveness of the EU. Though an effective industrial strategy, some deregulation and reduction of bureaucracy , the EU needs to become more competitive.
  2. Climate policy. The EU should stick to its goal to become the first climate neutral continent by 2050. It needs to implement the Green Deal, without affecting the EUs competitiveness in a bad way
  3. Migration. The EU needs skilled workers, but it also needs to stop illegal migration, according to McAllister. The EU external borders need to be protected better to preserve a Europe without internal borders. 
  4. Institutional reform. Considering the potential accession of new candidate countries, the EU needs to reform itself. If the EU wants to enlarge in the 2030ies, it needs to start thinking about and implementing a reform of the EU institutions now, to become operational and more effective again, even with more members.
  5. Common foreign and security policy of the EU. The EU needs to strengthen its competencies in the realm of hard power. The new Commissioner for Defence needs to work towards boosting the European defence industry and towards supporting joint procurement and training of soldiers. In that way, we need to work towards a fully fledged European defence Union, how Ursula von der Leyen called it.