The dossier concerning the ten issues of the year 2021 for the European Union was created in collaboration with the European Movement 06, chaired by Odile Menozzi.
For her, “What is certain is that citizens want more Europe, especially a Europe of health. The EU has shown that it can improve its efficiency by making quick economic decisions (had the United Kingdom remained, this would never have been possible, thank you Brexit!), asserting its values of solidarity and thus reassuring Europeans about its ability to protect them.
The EU has demonstrated its power to act on the global stage, but would it be able to respond to the economic and social consequences of this crisis?
From vaccination to economic recovery, from the migration pact to respect for the rule of law, 2021 promises to be a decisive year for the European continent. A year that could allow the European Union, particularly active and ambitious in recent months, to foresee a way out of the crisis from the top, but which could also reveal some of its weaknesses.
After a year 2020 marked by an unprecedented crisis in its history, the European Union approaches 2021 with two certainties. One, concerning, of facing a critical situation, both economically and health-wise, and the other, more encouraging, of having managed to stand out in the face of these major difficulties.
In recent months, Europe has indeed acted as rarely before in its history (implementation of a €750 billion recovery plan with shared debt, support for unemployment insurance systems), and this with notable speed compared to its usual standards. A situation facilitated by a shift in economic paradigm on the continent, notably in Germany. Similarly, it managed to get out of the rut on the Brexit issue and reach a trade and cooperation agreement laying the foundations for a new integrated relationship with the United Kingdom. However, adjustments will be required over the coming months.
In the upcoming year, the main challenge for the Union will therefore be to maintain the political momentum it has initiated to address the dual health and economic crisis that has hit the continent.
Will it continue on this path to achieve the objectives set by the President of the European Commission, namely a world leader status in ecological, digital, and diplomatic plans? Or will its action be slowed down or even hindered by political divisions or national sensitivities, as the Hungarian and Polish vetoes on the issue of conditionality of access to European funds might have suggested?
This is the very question that 2021 will answer through several dossiers that will punctuate the year…
