At the beginning of this year, France kicked off its 13th presidency of the Council of the EU. It is the first time in 14 years that France, a founding member of the EU and one of its largest economies, has held this influential position. However, the EU faces a range of significant policy challenges including soaring energy prices, Covid-19, rule of law disagreements and a Russian troop build-up around Ukraine.
Dods latest briefing, written by our French Political Intelligence team, outlines the French agenda for the EU and provides stakeholder reaction and recommendations. It also sets out the views on the EU of the leading candidates in the French presidential elections and concludes with a list of French political figures who will play a key role during the EU presidency as well as events scheduled to take place in France over the period.