Why Asean should matter to the European Commission

NOVEMBER is an important month in global politics. There was, of course, the not-small matter of the US elections, the result of which will, no doubt, have a major impact on geopolitics and the global trading order if the last Trump administration is anything to go by.

For Europe, there is also an important event happening at the moment: The European Union will formally approve its new College of Commissioners – key political office holders who will determine Europe’s trajectory over the next five years. This might not garner the attention of the global media that the US elections have, but it is, nonetheless, still of vital importance.

While the confirmation hearings are very much a European political event, it should also matter to the South-east Asian region, as commissioners play a central role in shaping the EU’s external policies, including trade agreements, climate action and geopolitics – all areas where member states of Asean have significant ties with the EU.