New European Commission has foreign policy at fore

SUNDAYS have traditionally been a day of rest and worship in many nations. However, Dec 1 this weekend marks the official first day of the new European Commission – which will have a huge workload as it seeks to hit the ground running in its first 100 days in office.

The concept of the first 100 days of a new political leadership dates back to at least 1933, during the legendary first US presidency of Franklin Roosevelt. In his first 100 days in the White House, Congress passed more than 75 laws, of which many were directed towards reviving the US economy in the midst of the Great Depression.

The first 100 days have therefore typically been defined in terms of domestic policy. However, for the new European Commission, foreign policy will be just as much at the fore in the next three months in what is becoming an increasingly challenging geopolitical environment.