Christakis Georgiou is a political scientist at the University of Geneva and currently a visiting fellow at the European University Institute in Florence. He specializes in the political economy of European integration and is the author of Les grandes firmes françaises et l’Union européenne (Le Croquant, 2017).
The EU has launched a discussion about transforming its basic constitutional framework. The Left should push for changes that expand democracy at the pan-European level and make it easier to carry out progressive social and environmental reforms.
In response to COVID-19, EU member states have agreed to policies that once seemed inconceivable. The EU recovery fund falls well short of what’s needed, but there’s now an opening for the European left to demand more radical forms of economic redistribution.
Emmanuel Macron’s strong polling in the French election signals a political realignment destined to consolidate elite control.
The Left continues to struggle against European unification — but the EU isn’t going anywhere.