In the thirty-fifth episode of the EU to go podcast, host Thu Nguyen talks about her co-authored Franco-German report on EU institutional reform with Anna Lührmann, Minister of State for Europe, and Daniela Schwarzer, also co-author and board member of the Bertelsmann Stiftung.
The issue of institutional reform and enlargement has been a hot topic ever since the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine, and accession talks with the Western Balkan states have been underway for several years. But how can an EU with over 30 member states function, and what must change before the next enlargement to ensure that the EU remains efficient?
An independent expert group with 12 members from Germany and France, including Thu Nguyen and Daniela Schwarzer, has taken a close look at these very questions and developed numerous recommendations. They presented their report, commissioned by Anna Lührmann and her counterpart in Paris, French Secretary of State for European Affairs Laurence Boone, on September 19, making waves across Europe.
In this episode, Thu Nguyen, Anna Lührmann and Daniela Schwarzer discuss why EU reforms and enlargement must go hand in hand. They also highlight their key proposals, including the rule of law and the right to veto, and what the next steps should be. One thing is clear: the topic will be on the agenda for the next few years, and soon in the upcoming EP elections.
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