Institutional Prospects for the European Union

After the May 2019 elections, the European Parliament has begun a new term of office and a number of European institutions have changed leader or leadership team (the Central Bank, the Commission, the Parliament etc.). Will this institutional renewal enable the European Union to improve its operation? This is a hope that might be harboured, even if, as this column reminds us, it is very difficult to make a structure of this size work well and to unite the visions and aspirations of 28 member states, even in purely institutional terms. Nevertheless, the increased responsibilities granted to the European Parliament, the continued advance toward more democratic working and the way the institutions have withstood the various crises of recent decades are encouraging signs that the new European Commission will have to strive to reinforce.