RMIT experts available for comment ahead of European elections

Professor Bruce Wilson (0414 236 765 or bruce.wilson@rmit.edu.au)

Topics: EU, European elections, Brexit, international affairs

“The European elections begin this Thursday and, as in Australia, they will be dominated by conflict between the politics of hope and the politics of fear.

“It is a conflict between those whom believe that Europe is best served by closer integration, benefiting from the advantages of scale in both economy and security, and those who wish to promote difference, and more narrowly seek to protect their own supporters.

“Either way, we won’t see any calls for more departures for the Union. Neither Marie Le Pen in France, Matteo Salvini in Italy nor Viktor Orban in Hungary will propose an exit from the EU.

“However, the outcomes of the election are crucial, not only in terms of the balance of power in the European parliament, but in the implications for other leadership positions in the European institutions.

“Before the end of 2019, there will be a new President of the European Commission and of the European Council, and a new High Representative of Foreign Affairs. Each of these will be influenced by the outcome of the elections.

“And, of course, this time, there is the further wildcard of the UK. Polls are suggesting that there will be a significant swathe of members of the European parliament elected on behalf of the Brexit party, who do not want to be there at all. Nobody is yet sure of the implications of this new dynamic.”

Professor Bruce Wilson is the Director of the EU Centre in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University. Wilson is an expert on international affairs, specifically the EU, with 20 years’ experience and a regular media commentator on the topic.

Dr Emma Shortis (0430 358 798 or emma.shortis@rmit.edu.au)

Topics: EU leadership on climate action, European elections, Brexit

“This week’s elections in Europe could have a significant impact on the role that the European Union plays in the world.

“The European parliament has the power to shape the other institutions of Europe, including the Commission and the Presidency.

“Should far-right Eurosceptics come to dominate the Parliament, environmental policy in particular will suffer, either because of a parliament dominated by climate deniers, or because of the significant distraction of other issues, not the least of which is Brexit, or both.

“When the European Union is one of the few major Western institutions focused in any way on climate action, this is of serious concern to those worried about the global environment.”

Dr Emma Shortis is a Research Officer at the EU Centre in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University. She recently returned from a year in the United States, where she was a Fox-Zucker International Fellow at Yale University as part of her PhD in history. Shortis is becoming a regular media commentator on the history and current politics of the US, tailored for an Asia-Pacific audience.

***

For media enquiries, please contact RMIT Communications: +61 439 704 077 or news@rmit.edu.au