Last May, the Conference on the Future of Europe ended. While it has set a pivotal precedent in EU participatory democracy and gave momentum to some important but deadlocked ideas, it risks losing momentum. The European Council, in its June summit, neither responded to the European Parliament’s call to convene a convention to reform the EU Treaties nor gave clear instructions on how to implement the Conference’s recommendations. Instead, it left the implementation to all main EU institutions, in line with their respective competences. Throughout the process, observers have widely agreed that the follow-up will decide whether it was a successful endeavour.
So, what has happened in the meantime, and where do we now stand? While the current crises overshadow these institutional debates, potential enlargement requires them. After long hesitation, President von der Leyen believes the moment has arrived for a European Convention, in her annual State of the Union speech. What are the chances for Treaty change? Which institutional reform ideas need to be solved before the next EP elections in May 2024?
