The State of the Union 2020 [What Think Tanks are thinking]

Written by Marcin Grajewski,

In what has now become a tradition, every year in September, the President of the European Commission delivers the State of the Union address before the 2020 European Parliament, taking stock of achievements over the past year and presenting priorities for the year ahead. Ursula von der Leyen will deliver her first State of the Union address on 16 September 2020, followed by a debate in the plenary. In essence, the Commission’s position is that the priorities that were set at the beginning of its current mandate remain valid in addressing today’s challenges, but with both major challenges and opportunities arising from the coronavirus pandemic .

After some initial criticism of ‘too little too late’, EU institutions are now working flat out to help. Notably, The European Council agreed on a major boost to fight the pandemic, including a measure of common debt. Both are actively addressing the European Green Deal, the digital agenda, making Europe stronger in the world, a new push for European democracy and making the economy work for people.

This note offers links to recent commentaries and reports from international think tanks on the state of the union and related issues.

EU law in the time of Covid-19
European Policy Centre, September 2020

E3 cooperation beyond Brexit: Challenging but necessary
Chatham House, September 2020

These are the EU’s ‘best of times, and worst of times’
Friends of Europe, September 2020

The European Green Deal: Saving the planet or protecting the markets?
Instituto Affari Internazionali, September 2020

The Sinatra Doctrine: How the EU should deal with the US–China competition
Instituto Affari Internazionali, September 2020

How Brussels sees the future of Europe after Covid-19
European Policy Centre, August 2020

Five reasons why even a basic EU-UK trade deal is better than nothing
Centre for European Reform, August 2020

EU communication: What are the biggest challenges and what can the institutions do to address them?
Friends of Europe, August 2020

Empowering the European Parliament: Toward more accountability on security and defense
Carnegie Europe, July 2020

ECB policy spurred economic reforms in euro area countries
Bertelsmann Stiftung, July 2020

Un accord historique à améliorer et à réaliser
Institut Jacques Delors, July 2020

Member States’ expectations towards the German Council Presidency
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, July 2020

Reading between the lines of Council agreement on the MFF and Next Generation EU
Centre for European Policy Studies, July 2020

Crisis decision-making: How Covid-19 has changed the working methods of the EU institutions
Centre for European Policy Studies, July 2020

Rethinking EU institutions’ rules of procedure after Covid-19
Egmont, July 2020

Having the cake, but slicing it differently: How is the grand EU recovery fund allocated?
Bruegel, July 2020

How to spend it: A proposal for a European Covid-19 recovery programme
Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, July 2020

Europe’s digital sovereignty: From rule-maker to superpower in the age of US-China rivalry
European Council on Foreign Relations, July 2020

How Europe’s populists lost EU game of thrones
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik, July 2020

How the EU managed its coronavirus comeback
Carnegie Europe, July 2020

Rethinking EU institutions’ rules of procedure after Covid-19
Egmont, July 2020

Raising Europe’s global role starts at home
Carnegie Europe, July 2020

Clearer role for business regulators needed in monitoring trade agreements
Chatham House, July 2020

An opportunity to improve the MFF permanently
European Policy Centre, June 2020

Un budget de relance ambitieux, mais de dures négociations à prévoir
Jacques Delors Centre, June 2020

How to spend it right: A more democratic governance for the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility
Hertie School – Jacques Delors Centre, Bertelsmann Stiftung, June 2020

Crisis notebook European recovery: How to convert the try? Something is happening in Europe
Jacques Delors Institute, June 2020

Europe after coronavirus: The EU and a new political economy
Chatham House, June 2020

The latest crisis of the European Union: The political, economic, and social consequences of the new coronavirus
Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade, June 2020

Together in trauma: Europeans and the world after Covid-19
European Council on Foreign Relations, June 2020

’Coronationalism’ vs a geopolitical Europe? EU external solidarity at the time of Covid-19
European Policy Institutes Network, CIDOB, June 2020

The EU’s external action on counter-terrorism: Development, structures and actions
Finnish Institute of International Affairs, June 2020

Geopolitical shifts and the post-Covid world: Europe and the multipolar system
Instutito Affari Internationali, June 2020

Restoring free movement in the Union
Fondation Robert Schuman, June 2020

A new policy toolkit is needed as countries exit Covid-19 lockdowns
Bruegel, 2020

Health sovereignty: How to build a resilient European response to pandemics
European Council on Foreign Relations, June 2020

Transatlantic opinion on global challenges before and after Covid-19
German Marshall Fund, June 2020

Next generation EU: An interpretative guide
LUISS School of European Political Economy, June 2020

Recovery instrument: An epochal change in political economy
LUISS School of European Political Economy, June 2020

The EU budget: A Hamilton moment?
LUISS School of European Political Economy, June 2020

Europe’s pandemic politics: How the virus has changed the public’s world view
European Council on Foreign Relations, June 2020

The multilateral order post-Covid: Expert voices
Institute of International European Affairs, June 2020

Three-quarters of Next Generation EU payments will have to wait until 2023
Bruegel, June 2020

Covid-19 strengthens the case for EU defence
Chatham House, June 2020

Three ways Covid-19 will cause economic divergence in Europe
Centre for European Reform, May 2020

Rebooting Europe: A framework for a post Covid-19 economic recovery
Bruegel, May 2020

European elections: A year in review
Europeaum, May 2020

The European Parliament: One year after the European elections
Österreichische gesellschaft für europapolitik, May 2020

Claiming back civic space: Towards approaches fit for the 2020s?
European Centre for Development Policy Management, May 2020

Making flexible Europe work? European governance and the potential of differentiated cooperation
GlobSec, May 2020

‘Responsive vs responsible? Party-democracy in times of crisis’
European University Institute, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, May 2020

Le mystère d’un geste
Institut Jacques Delors, May 2020

Differentiated EU integration: Maps and modes
Europe University Institute, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, April 2020

Localising Europe
Friends of Europe, March 2020

Représentation et participation: Réinventer la démocratie européenne

Institute Jacques Delors, March 2020

The future of democracy in Europe: Technology and the evolution of representation
Chatham House, March 2020

Five years with Juncker
Foundation for European Progressive Studies, March 2020

Futures(s) of Europe
Foundation for European Progressive Studies, March 2020

The propaganda virus: It is not the EU lacking solidarity, but the Member States
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik, March 2020

Juncker’s curse? Identity, interest, and public support for the integration of core state powers
Hertie School, Jacques Delors Centre, March 2020

Resisting de-globalisation: The case of Europe
Bruegel, February 2020

Rethinking global governance
Friends of Europe, February 2020

Read this briefing on ‘The State of the Union 2020‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.