EM Germany Newsletter September 2024 | New EU Commission in challenging times
Dear readers,
driven by terrible events in the summer and the rise of nationalist, authoritarian, even far-right forces, national actionism and solo efforts have clearly become socially acceptable.
Should European law be suspended and our beloved Schengen area abandoned with border controls? We have a clear stance on this. The recent elections in Saxony, Thuringia and now also in Brandenburg have created new political conditions and were not only the first test of public opinion for the upcoming Bundestag elections, but have also strengthened anti-European parties. From EBD's point of view, the increase in support for the anti-European parties AfD and BSW is a fatal development and gives us food for thought, not only as a reckoning with the current traffic light government at the federal level but also beyond. What means and arguments can we use in this environment to continue to promote and convince people of our free, democratic Europe of human rights and the rule of law and of trusting cooperation with our European partners? A compendium for a policy without borders in mind is our EBD-Policy, which will be proposed by the EBD-Executive Board to the General Assembly at the end of the week.
While Germany is currently reacting in an increasingly nationalistic manner, the European political level has unfortunately paid less attention to consensus and coalition building: With Ursula von der Leyen at the steering wheel, the new Commission will present itself to the European Parliament for scrutiny before being elected in its entirety. There will therefore certainly still be changes. The Commission plans for 2024-2029 not only include announcements for various reforms, but also for new posts such as Commissioners for the Mediterranean, for Defence & Space, for Energy & Housing, as well as for Enlargement, Eastern Neighbourhood & Reconstruction of Ukraine, but also for proven topics such as Cohesion & Reforms. We will closely monitor the formation of clusters with overlapping responsibilities, which will take some getting used to. However, we are also looking forward to a future with pro-European majorities under pressure and the associated difficulties in building consensus in the European Parliament. The pressure continues to come from outside through strategic corruption. Russia continues to exert a massive influence on the mood in the regions, capitals and in Brussels.
Stay in touch with us about our exciting formats & events in the coming weeks, because Europe needs democratic-liberal resilience and reflexes now more than ever.
Yours
Bernd Hüttemann
General Secretary of the European Movement Germany e.V.
#EBDGrafik of the month
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, presented her leadership team for the next five years on Tuesday, 17 September. Who are the proposed Commissioners and which portfolios will they be assigned to? The latest EBD graphic of the month takes a look at the structure of the new EU Commission. | Download
EM Germany News
EBD criticises German border populism | EBD has conducted a survey among its 240 member organisations on the introduction of border controls at all German borders from Monday 16 September. These confirmed our previous position. As the largest network for European policy in Germany, we call on politicians to stop the progressive undermining of Schengen. Because with this approach, the German government is violating the free Schengen area of a united Europe. | More
EBD Secretary General at the Europa Forum | EBD Secretary General Bernd Hüttemann was a guest at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation's ‘Forum Europa’ on 25 September 2024 for a keynote speech and discussion. The event focussed on the ‘Blueprint’ report ‘What Comes After The European Green Deal? Recommendations 2024-2029’, which was presented by Dr Stefan Schepers, Head of the High Level Groups on EU Policy Innovation. The report proposes new impulses for the future strategic orientation of the EU. | More
EBD briefing on the priorities of the new EU Commission | Our panelists discussed how the new EU Commission intends to fill its announced priorities with life and which legislative projects are planned, with over 100 guests at the EBD Briefing: Commission directly on the priorities of the new EU Commission, which took place on Thursday, 19 September 2024, in the European House, moderated by Secretary General Bernd Hüttemann. Barbara Gessler, Representative of the EU Commission in Germany, presented the work programme of the new EU Commission. Anke Meyer, Commissioner for EU Policies, Displacement and Migration at the Federal Foreign Office, and Dr Nina Wunderlich, Head of Division EB (EU Economic Policy, Internal Market, Bilateral Relations, EU Twinning) at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, then assessed the EU Commission's plans from the perspective of the German government. EBD board member Frank Burgdörfer commented on the work programme from the perspective of the EBD. | More
EBD President analyses European elections in the Genshagen Paper | Europe has voted - A pro-European majority will continue to sit in the EU Parliament for the next five years. But how does Germany view the 2024 European elections? What consequences will the election result have in the country itself and at European level? In her article, Dr Linn Selle discusses the results of the European elections and explores the question of how the shifts in the political landscape in Germany could affect the European project. | More
EBD Board meeting with farewell to our President | This meeting was a very special one: 13 September 2024 was not only the last meeting of our currently elected Board, but also the farewell to our long-standing President. After a decade of dedicated work on the Board and six years as EBD President, Dr Linn Selle will be stepping down on 14 October 2024. | More
EBD President discusses EU reform debate in Berlin Perspectives 24/02 | EBD President Dr Linn Selle and European Policy Officer (EBD) Fabian Häring discuss Germany's position on EU reform proposals in their analysis in the IEP Policy Brief Berlin Perspectives and examine the extent to which EU enlargement and internal reforms are necessary to maintain stability and security in Europe. The focus is on demands to the German government, which should advocate concrete reforms such as the convening of an EU convention to amend the treaties and standardised voting rights in all EU countries. | More
Upcoming Events
26-27.09.2024 | 75² - Role of the police in the Safety of Journalists in Strasbourg | From 26-27 September, the seminar ‘The Role of the Police in the Protection of the Safety of Journalists’ will take place in Strasbourg - a cooperation event between the Council of Europe and the European Movement Germany e.V. EBD Secretary General Bernd Hüttemann will welcome the participants from 46 Council of Europe member states and emphasise the importance of strengthening press freedom in his input. Especially in times of polarising political conditions and increasing anti-media rhetoric as well as economic and political pressure on the free press in some member states of the Council of Europe, the safety of journalists accompanying demonstrations, for example, plays an outstanding role for democracy. Experiences and best practices will therefore be exchanged with experts from the police and media sectors. | More
4-5.10.2024 | Presentation of the candidates for the new EBD Board | The 2024 General Assembly will elect the new EM Germany Board on 14 October. At these two online events, all candidates will have the opportunity to introduce themselves to the member organisations and answer their questions.
14.10.2024 | EM Germany Members‘ Meeting at Hans Böckler Haus (DGB) | This year's EM Germany Members’ Meeting is being held to mark the major anniversary of EM Germany and the Council of Europe. Both organisations will celebrate their 75th anniversary in 2024. Together with high-ranking guests, we will emphasise the current importance of the Council of Europe, look back on our shared history and discuss how politics - but also we as a social network - can strengthen Europe. At the centre of the agenda is the election of the new President and Board of EM Germany. After a decade of dedicated work on the Board and six years as President of EM Germany, Dr Linn Selle will step down on 14 October 2024. The Executive Board has nominated Dr Anna-Maija Mertens to succeed her as EM Germany President. From 1 October, you will also find the Executive Board's draft EM Germany Policy 2024/25 and the work priorities on our website.
More information
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