EM Germany Newsletter January 2025 | Shaping the Future of the EU: Poland Sets Priorities, Germany Faces Challenges
Dear readers,
Since the beginning of the year, Poland has assumed the EU Council Presidency, which we are accompanying in our established format EBD Briefing Polnische EU-Ratspräsidentschaft.
A particularly historic moment took place last week when Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski inaugurated a new, impressive functional building—right across from Russia’s imperial structure!
Matching this, Poland’s EU Presidency is prioritizing European defence and security, with the goal of strengthening the EU’s role in these critical areas.
This focus aligns with our own priorities at the European Movement Germany, and our latest Forsa survey reflects this sentiment: nearly two-thirds of respondents (64%) support closer cooperation among EU states in defence policy. To the survey.
Even though European issues often take a back seat during national election campaigns, our latest survey shows that citizens strongly favour greater collaboration in the EU —particularly in security and defence policy. Around 70% of Germans follow political developments in Europe with great interest, and for 80%, Germany's EU membership is (very) important. Furthermore, 66% want European policy to play a central role in the 2025 Bundestag election campaign.
However, despite this clear sentiment, German European policy faces significant challenges. Our president emphasized this in a powerful op-ed for Table Media, highlighting the need for the next federal government to take decisive action and set a new course.
Our Demands as EM Germany
We expect political parties to include concrete strategies for Europe in their election campaigns. Germany should take on a stronger leadership role in European policy, supported by strategic and coherent European coordination. The goal must be to actively strengthen the EU. Our Forsa survey shows:
- 59% of respondents want more decision-making power for the European Parliament.
- 70% support shifting to majority voting in the EU.
In a month, it will become clear which coalition might be ready to turn these goals into reality. As the biggest network for European policy in Germany, we remain in close contact with our member parties.
Yours,
Bernd Hüttemann
General Secretary of the European Movement Germany e.V.
#EBD Grafik of the month
On 1 January 2025, Poland took over the EU Council Presidency and presented an ambitious programme with clear priorities. The current EM Germany graphic of the month provides a compact overview of the key content of this programme and highlights the objectives from an EM Germany perspective.
With a strong commitment to a pro-European and democratic course, Poland faces the task of actively shaping the future of Europe - especially in the midst of geopolitical and political tensions. It will be interesting to see what priorities Poland will set during its Council Presidency. | Download
EM Germany News
EM Germany Survey Shows: Majority of Germans Strongly Support the EU and Want Germany to Act More European | The results of a representative Forsa survey commissioned by the European Movement Germany (EBD), conducted just in time for the start of the federal election campaign, provide important insights: A clear majority of Germans are calling for a stronger role for Germany in European policy. An impressive 80% of eligible voters consider EU membership (very) important – a clear commitment to European integration.
Especially the younger generation is showing pro-European sentiment: Among 18 to 29-year-olds, 88% support EU membership. The importance of the EU is almost unanimously recognised across party lines – with the exception of the AfD.
However, the survey also highlights critical aspects: 66% of respondents believe the EU is not doing enough to create incentives for economic growth. 62% think the EU is not able to protect democracy effectively from internal and external threats. This growing dissatisfaction poses important challenges not only for EU institutions but also for the new federal government.
Another worrying result: Only 34% of respondents believe that Germany still plays a leadership role in the EU.
The survey underscores the need for action and motivates us in our commitment to a strong, united, and capable Europe. It also serves as a call to political parties and the new federal government to reinvigorate Germany's role as a progressive force within the EU. | Further details here
EBD European Calendar 2025 is here! | Just in time for the new year, the EBD European Calendar 2025 (formerly the EBD Presidency Calendar) has been released. The calendar provides a comprehensive overview of the most important dates and events for the next six months. In addition to meetings of EU institutions such as the European Council and the European Parliament, the calendar also includes information on Council of Europe sessions and upcoming EBD events. Would you like to receive a copy? Feel free to email us at presse(at)netzwerk-ebd.de | To the digital version of the calendar (second page)
Brussels Alumni Meetup Berlin – Join Us Now! | The Brussels Alumni Meetup Berlin warmly invites all former Brussels expats and College of Europe alumni to network and connect! Starting now, this informal gathering will take place once a month at the Belgian pub "Herman" near Senefelder Platz. We will provide all the information about the dates here. Yesterday marked the successful start of our Brussels Alumni Meetup.| Further details here
EBD De-Briefing European Council – Focus on Support for Ukraine, Economy, and Geopolitics | The final European Council meeting of the year, held on December 19, 2024, under the chairmanship of António Costa, addressed key issues: support for Ukraine, the EU’s geopolitical role, economic strengthening of the Union, and the situation in the Middle East. Prominent guests, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, highlighted the summit's importance. At the EBD De-Briefing on December 20, 2024, Christoph Wolfrum (Federal Foreign Office) and Dr. Kirsten Scholl (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action) analysed the session's outcomes. EBD President Dr. Anna-Maija Mertens and Barbara Gessler (European Commission) enriched the discussion with comments on the decisions and their implications. | Further details here
Upcoming events
January 28th, 2025 | EBD Briefing Polish EU Council Presidency |On January 28th at 10:30 AM, the EM Germany, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland, invites you to the EBD Briefing on the Polish EU Council Presidency.
The event will focus on a discussion about the priorities and challenges of the Polish Presidency.
More information
Check out former editions of our newsletter here.
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