Schuman report on Europe

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH EMMANUEL MACRON

As it faces a critical moment of truth, is Europe finally developing its own
strategy?

Without losing sight of its hopes and ambitions in terms of green and digital
transition, energy autonomy, space and maritime conquest, research and
innovation, the European Union has changed a great deal in the last five years
— in the wake of the health crisis, and now with war at its borders — and it
is beginning to shape its own geopolitical posture. Questions involving
European sovereignty, defence and the definition of a common position
vis-à-vis other world powers, in particular the United States and China, are
leading to responses that are moving in the right direction.

By linking its future to that of Ukraine, the Union is meeting the security
and strategic challenges facing our continent, while ensuring respect for
fundamental rights and its duty of solidarity. By adapting its agricultural,
budgetary, financial and trade instruments, it acknowledges the constant need
to stimulate growth.

In this election year 2024, with a new balance among the 720 seats in the
European Parliament, and the appointment of a new Commission, a great deal of
hope is being placed on the European Union.

As it focuses on the major issues shaping the future of Europe, the Schuman
Report on Europe, the State of the Union 2024 not only brings together eminent
figures from the world of politics, foremost among them the President of the
French Republic, the President of the European Commission and the President of
the European Parliament, it also gives the floor to key players in business,
research and diplomacy. Throughout the book, they share their analyses and
visions of the added value that the European Union provides.

With the support of original maps and annotated statistical data, this book is
an essential tool for understanding the multidimensional challenges facing
Europe today.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pascale Joannin is managing director of the Robert Schuman Foundation