Member states’ expectations towards the German Council Presidency (EPIN Report)

As Germany assumes the presidency of the Council of the EU, the Union is facing the “biggest test of its history”according to German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and a severe economic recession could not be more extraordinary. The weight of expectations on Berlin to assume a European leadership role during the presidency are as extraordinary as those challenges. What exactly do other member states expect from Germany and how do they set their policy priorities? To answer this, the European Policy Institutes Network (EPIN) has compiled an analysis of 15 different national perspectives.

The Austrian Society for European Politics contributed the chapter “Austria’s ‘stop and go’ on EU integration”.