Title page

Contents

Introduction 4

1. Heading towards the 2024 European elections 5

2. Budgeting in times of crises and war 7

3. EU recovery instrument: Lessons for public investment in the EU 9

4. The Janus-faced fiscal-monetary policy mix 11

5. Climate and socio-economic tipping points 13

6. How will increasing fuel prices impact transport? 15

7. Cyber-resilience in the EU 17

8. Protecting media freedom and journalists in the EU 19

9. Russia, quo vadis? 21

10. Geoeconomics in an age of empires: What does Africa risk? 23

Further reading 25

Figure 1. Turnout in European elections across all Member States since 1979 6

Figure 2. Gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the EU 11

Figure 3. Change in annual inflation by item in the ECB inflation product basket 11

Figure 4. Tipping points and global warming 13

Figure 5. Price without taxes - EU weighted average 15

Figure 6. Media freedom and pluralism in the EU 19