2017 State of the (European) Union Address

On September 13^th, 2017 EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker delivered the State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.  For students enrolled this semester at Georgia Tech Lorraine in a class with Nunn School Professor and CETS co-director Vicki Birchfield, it was an exciting opportunity to see transnational democracy in action and to witness what will likely be one of the most consequential debates shaping the EU’s near future.  The significance of the speech this year lies with the declaration made on March 25, 2017 when, on the occasion of the 60^th anniversary of the Rome Treaties (founding the EU as we know it today), Juncker presented a White Paper on the Future of Europe promising to announce his vision and preference for one of the scenarios put forward in the document that has now been debated across Europe.  As a backdrop, the events of 2016 particularly the UK’s referendum vote to leave the EU and the migration and refugee crisis, as well as multiple terrorist attacks, made for one of the most tumultuous years of the EU’s history.   In that year’s State of the Union address, Juncker referred to an ‘existential crisis’ facing the European Union.  This year’s optimistic message was that the ‘wind being back in the sails of Europe’!

 

Juncker’s vision might be characterized as a manifesto for a more  political European Union and one ready to assume its place on the world stage, especially with regards to global leadership in combatting climate change and providing for a stronger EU collective defense. As Guy Verhofstadt, the leader of ALDE, the centrist and fourth largest political group in the Parliament, noted in his response to Juncker’s speech, EU citizens, are rejecting nationalism (as evidenced by the French, Dutch and Austrian elections) and demanding more Europe, with over 70% saying they support greater EU action on security and defense and more active EU management of the migration and refugee crisis.

 

Juncker’s speech has significant implications for the Trump administration, U.S business and the transatlantic relationship. President Trump — having cheered the Brexit result; supported pro-nationalist, anti-EU movements; and expressed skepticism about NATO — is one of the most unsupportive U.S. presidents European leaders have ever faced.  In addition, as Junker’s speech conveys, Europe and America have divergent visions for managing global affairs.  In particular, he made clear that Europe will continue its leadership on climate change in contrast to the “abandoned ambition” of the U.S.   He also referenced his support for overhauling Europe’s tax regime affecting U.S. tech giants such as Apple and Google.  Beyond Juncker’s outline of a roadmap for deeper EU political integration, the speech sent a message to the world that the EU is resilient and prepared to defend its values of expanding democracy and the rule of law and promoting greater international cooperation and openness, not retreating into what one member of the European Parliament called “national egoism.”