Europe plans for bolder future post-Ukraine

Monday saw the climax of years of consultation on Europe’s future, yet it is events more recently in Ukraine that are catalysing the political and economic direction of the continent.

On Monday, a cross-section of Europe’s top brass, including French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, spoke about the need for the bloc to reset given the challenges on its Eastern doorsteps. Von der Leyen said that “the unthinkable (major war) has returned to our continent” and stressed that this will shape the medium- to long-term future of the bloc post-Ukraine, post-pandemic, and post-Brexit.

While the full implications of the Ukraine crisis may not be clear for years, what is already evident is that the current system of EU institutions and processes need reform to address the fallout. And the implications are key not only for EU foreign and security policy, but also its broader agriculture, migration, energy and industrial policies.