Indeed. But beyond the 🇬🇧🇫🇷 relationship, Macron will have wanted to symbolically display Europe’s military power… and he loves pomp and an ostentatious display of his incarnation of ‘la Présidence de la Republique’.

For the first time in its history, we could be looking at a genuinely rightwing European Union. Europe’s centrist majority that has governed the continent is over. My latest for ⁦⁦The Guardian⁩ #vonderleyen theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

👇Von der Leyen's Geopolitical Commission in action? We wrote a paper on what a Progressive Geopolitical EU could entail, in which the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement is a case study Mathieu_Blondeel FEPS FEPS Young Academics Network Have a read 👉 feps-europe.eu/publication/to…

Interesting👇CBAM was case study in paper we wrote on what a Progressive Geopolitical EU could entail Mathieu_Blondeel FEPS FEPS Young Academics Network Recommendation: more upstream consideration needed of impact on developing countries when designing 🇪🇺 policies 👉 feps-europe.eu/publication/to…

I’m hugely grateful to Paul Waugh MP for writing this letter and to all the parliamentarians for their support. I’m hugely proud of the excellent work UK in a Changing Europe has done and continues to do.

The Protocol/Windsor Framework recently secured 'democratic consent' from the NI Assembly. In a final Post-Brexit Governance NI project event, Katy Hayward, Billy Melo Araújo, Lisa Claire Whitten and I reflect on the debate and discuss 'what next?' youtu.be/yfORTZq5z1w?fe…

Freshly re-elected for a record 4th term, 🇦🇱 PM Edi Rama hosts European Political Community: 1st @EPC_CPE_News summit in Western Balkans & 1st time Pdt EU Council co-chairs with non-🇪🇺 country. Expect an impressive ‘family photo’ of Europe’s leaders & a big day for Rama & 🇦🇱👇

A Reminder that it is ALL 🇪🇺 member states that endorsed ‘package approach’ to nego with 🇬🇧 in general affairs council in December 2024 (linking 🇬🇧 asks with other 🇪🇺 ‘priority areas’) 👉 consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/...

Celebrating 🇬🇧-France relations in July 👇 the Summit is the second since Brexit after Sunak & Macron March 2023 summit. Implementation of what was agreed then has been successful and both countries will look to deepen cooperation further, notably on defence & security

👇👇 an impressive list of participants once again @EPC_CPE_News 👉 epctiranasummit.al/participant - European Political Community still an attractive (relevant 🤔) forum

The women’s games have been great Roland-Garros and continue to be great battles

😡 cette rave n’est pas un acte politique de transgression & de liberté (ils ont saccagé la maison sur place). Et si on veut parler politique alors quid de cette terre qui brûle à cause de la sécheresse liée au climat & à l’abandon du savoir faire de la culture de cette terre

👇👌 on some external implications, especially for 🇪🇺, of political instability in 🇫🇷. In terms of political optics of nominating Lecornu, leaves Macron very exposed to direct attacks on his legitimacy, as new PM is very close & loyal to Macron + has low pol profile in 🇫🇷

Good to be back in #Brussels to catch up on all things 🇬🇧-🇪🇺 relations UK in a Changing Europe

📣👇my piece Encompass on Starmer’s approach to bilateralism with 🇪🇺 member states. He is much better at it than his recent predecessors … BUT ‘Starmer may have proven himself a good diplomat, but so far, this is not a quality that has endeared him to the British public.’