Robert Schuman Foundation

The regional and federal elections in Germany this year will have an impact on the development of the Union's common policies. Yet Germany is often more "national" than some of its partners and less European than in the past, Jean-Dominique Giuliani points out. Many questions arise, in particular about the link that Angela Merkel's successor will want to maintain with France.

25/02/2021 The Foundation organised, together with the Catholic Institute of Paris, a videoconference on the topic of migration and asylum in Europe. Commissioner Margaritis Schinas, Executive Director of Frontex Fabrice Leggeri and Member of the European Parliament Fabienne Keller discussed the topic around a virtual roundtable. Please note that this debate was held in French.

02/03/2021 European States are trying to strike a balance between health measures and maintaining business activities and family ties, while trying to coordinate their action. The Foundation offers you a summary of the health measures in place and travel conditions across Europe. An indispensable, regularly updated resource designed to help you understand the situation.

The Foundation published the following studies in February:
- The Union's external borders: a European debate revisited by Stefanie Buzmaniuk
- Europe-Africa Relations in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic. State of play and prospects by Alexandre Kateb
- Brexit and the Irish Question by Marie-Claire Considère-Charon
- Europe as a power, European sovereignty, strategic autonomy: a debate that is moving towards an assertive Europe by Maxime Lefebvre
- In office for more than ten years, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) of incumbent Prime Minister Mark Rutte, is running favourite in the general elections in the Netherlands by Corinne Deloy

The management of the European Union's external borders is currently the subject of heated debate. The mission of Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, is essential to meet the security challenges facing the Union. Arrangements to protect both borders and human rights exist, and should be used to the fullest.

From March 15 to 17, the Dutch are being called upon to renew the 150 members of the House of States General after a campaign without meetings because of the pandemic. 37 parties are in the running. According to the latest opinion poll, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) of liberal Prime Minister Mark Rutte is due to come out on top with 38 seats. It is due to be followed by the PVV of right-wing populist Geert Wilders (22 seats), the Christian Democrats of the CDA (20), the centrists of D66 (15), and the Social Democrats of the PvdA (12).

11/02/2021 The Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton spoke at an exclusive videoconference on the reindustrialisation of Europe and economic innovation in the context of the climate and digital transition. This event was organised by the Foundation in partnership with the Institut Catholique de Paris and the Faculty of Law of the Catholic University of Lille. Please note that this conference was held in French.

Since the rigged presidential election of August 9, the Belarusian people have been protesting against the continued rule of President Alexander Lukashenko. While the opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya is in exile in Lithuania and arrests of opponents and police violence continue, the European Union is calling for political dialogue and preparing sanctions against the regime. To follow this crisis, the Foundation offers you a chronology of events and links to European reactions and initiatives.

01/02/2021 The Foundation organised, in partnership with the Catholic Institute of Paris, an exclusive videoconference with High Representative Josep Borrell who addressed the major issues that the European Union is currently facing on the international scene. Please note that this conference was held in French.

18/12/2020 Confronted by the first wave of epidemics that swept across Europe in March 2020, parliaments were forced to respond quickly. The relation with time that parliaments have developed in this regard is complex and largely conditioned by the urgency of the situation. This study aims to report on the impact of the pandemic on the leading democratic institution in our countries - the Parliament. The Robert Schuman Foundation, in partnership with this university network, has published a series of contributions on the developments in the functioning of the parliaments of twelve states European countries during this particular year as well as the European Parliament.