European elections 2024: IDOS‘ view on the EU’s global role

From 6 to 9 June, elections to the European Parliament will be held in the 27 Member States of the European Union, which will influence the appointment of the next Commission. In the run-up to these elections, IDOS is already exploring the global role of the EU in different ways.

In publications, advisory activities and events, IDOS in general and IDOS‘ research team on the role of the European Union in particular are addressing the question of what global role the EU should play in the future in light of the upcoming elections. Prof. Anna-Katharina Hornidge, Director of IDOS, and Dr Niels Keijzer, Senior Researcher in IDOS‘ EU Research Team, took part in the third edition of the European Think Tanks Group Dialogue Forum in Rome from 8 to 9 April. Building on the EU team’s research, IDOS researchers reflected on the EU’s international cooperation in a challenging geopolitical environment in exchange with representatives of major European think tanks as well as high-level representatives of the European Commission and EU member states. A particular focus was placed on the priorities of the current and upcoming presidencies – Belgium, Hungary and Poland – in the areas of international cooperation, development and foreign policy of the EU. Furthermore, they discussed the role of the EU in the G7 and G20 during the presidencies of Italy and Brazil, as well as in preparation for the presidencies of Canada and South Africa. Another topic was the EU’s eastward enlargement and the organisation of partnerships with regard to possible contributions from the think tank community in consultation processes with a future Commission. This also included the further operationalisation of the 2030 Agenda in the European Green Deal and the Global Gateway Initiative.

The high-level political panel discussion, hosted by IDOS on 16 April together with ETTG and EADI on the occasion of IDOS‘ 60th anniversary at the Permanent Representation of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia in Brussels, also dealt with the renewal of the mission of EU development policy in times of global polycrises.