On 1 October, the German Chapter of the Friends of ERA hosted a frank and thought-provoking discussion with Dr. Katarina Barley, Vice-President of the European Parliament, which was attended by nearly 40 of our Friends of ERA.
The discussion covered key challenges facing Europe, including the impact of the latest Parliament elections and the critical issues facing Europe related to democracy, society and migration.
Key topic was the anticipated new composition of the European Parliament post-2024. This emerged as a central theme, along with its potential impact on EU policies and governance.
We also touched on issues such as:
- Evolving concerns about democracy in Europe and future challenges to our EU institutions
- The long-term impact of rising right-wing populism in the European Parliament
- Emerging issues in immigration, migration, and asylum policies
- Ongoing and potential future domestic and external tensions related to conflicts
- The formation of the new EU government and its approach to renegotiating relations with the UK
- Addressing the phenomenon of fear shaping European societies in the coming years
Many thanks to Katarina Barley for her highly valuable and sincere, if perhaps slightly pessimistic, observations on the democracy today. Dear Dr. Barley, your perspective has deepened our understanding of the complexity of the EU’s post-2024 electoral landscape.
Thank you also to Julia Laffranque and Ulrich Rommelfanger for the excellent chairing of the lively debate.
In the face of these new realities, our shared commitment to European law and to the European ideal must become even stronger!