Erik Jones: HOW TO PREPARE THE EU FOR THE PERFECT STORM?

Helfried Carl in conversation with Erik Jones HOW TO PREPARE THE EU FOR THE PERFECT STORM?The New European Commission FACING TRUMP, PUTIN and the Multi-Crisis   True to the slow pace of European decision making, the new European Commission under its President Ursula von der Leyen will take office half a year after the elections to the European Parliament. The challenges for the new Commission are obvious: the war in Ukraine is still raging, the European economy is comparatively weak and the European Green Deal is an immense challenge. Europe has little or no influence on the ongoing war in the Middle East. In addition, on November 5, 2024, Donald Trump was elected the 47th US president after a triumphant election victory – this time with an even more radical agenda than during his first term. His friends in the EU, like Hungary’s Prime Minister Orbán and his right-wing allies, will try to block any movements towards greater foreign policy cohesion towards his administration, but also that of Putin’s Russia. Europe is facing a crucial test. How can it manage to protect its interests independently and develop its own defense policy in the face of US disengagement? Will the democratic forces prevail? And what role does the EU Commission play in this? Prof. Erik Jones is Director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute and Member of the Scientific Committee of the Institute’s renowned annual State of the Union Conference.  He has published extensively on topics related to European politics, with a special focus on political economy. He is co-editor of the Journal Government & Opposition. His commentary has appeared in the Financial Times, the New York Times, and other major newspapers and magazines across Europe and North America. Helfried Carl, diplomat, since 2019 partner of the Innovation in Politics Institute in Vienna and founder of the European Capital of Democracy initiative. From 2014-2019 he served as Austria’s Ambassador to the Slovak Republic. From 2008-2014, he was Chief of Cabinet and foreign policy advisor to the late President of the Austrian Parliament (National Council), Barbara Prammer.