— 2020 — WILFRIED MARTENS CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN STUDIES ACTIVITY REPORT © February 2021 - Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies 2020’s label will unfortunately be, above all, the year of Table of Contents the COVID-19 pandemic. It has marked the fates of many people, the way of life we used to enjoy, the way in which we communicated and worked, and in fact the entire world. On one hand, it has caused unprecedent fear for Welcome 04 human lives, but on the other hand it stimulated signifi- cant ones, such as the great effort to effectively coordi- nate the fight against the virus and the decision to create the Recovery Fund – Next Generation EU. However, we Publications 07 ended the year with the faith that the vaccines humanity European View 08 developed will save human lives and gradually get the Publications in 2020 10 situation under control, also eliminating the pandemic’s devastating impact on the economy. Another sad moment of 2020 for the EU was, of course, the UK’s official exit. It was a very painful process, but Events 13 largely chaotic on the British side. Even though we Events in 2020 14 parted “in an orderly fashion”, the consequences will be Economic Ideas Forum Brussels 2020 16 felt on both sides for years to come. 10th Transatlantic Think Tank Conference 20 Another unquestionably significant event of 2020 was the US presidential election. The pandemic, along with the events surrounding the US election, such as the Common Projects 23 attack on the Capitol, proved how fragile democracy NET@WORK 24 is, as are we. It shows the importance of taking care of Projects with Member Foundations democracy and fighting for it every day. It is good that and Partner Members 26 American democratic institutions have shown resilience and functionality and that Joe Biden became President of the United States. Undoubtedly, it acts as renewed impetus for the West as a whole to restore inclusion. For Outreach 29 the EU itself, it is a challenge to effectively contribute to a Our Formats 30 revitalisation of transatlantic relations. Martens Centre New Website 32 Another development has demonstrated the fragility and Social media and Press 34 vulnerability of democracy in several EU member states, notably in the CEE region. Democracy has continued to deteriorate in Hungary and Poland, even though an arti- cle 7 procedure has already been initiated against them. About Us 37 Executive Board 38 While it seems that civil society has suffered some Honorary Board 39 losses in several EU countries, in some countries in our Academic Council 40 Eastern neighbourhood, we can witness its awakening, Individual Members 41 especially in Belarus, after the rigged presidential elec- Research and Senior Research Associates 42 tion, and in Russia, after the attempt to kill civil activist Staff 2020 44 Alexei Navalny. The recent development in our Eastern Visiting Fellows 45 neighbourhood is a great challenge for us Europeans. Internships 46 We are obliged to contribute with concrete steps and Member Foundations 47 activities to support human and civil rights and their Partner Members 51 protection in these countries. For the Martens Centre, 2020 was not only about adapt- ing to a new way of working and interacting during the pandemic. It was about mapping the developments mentioned above and striving to come up with concrete solutions on how to face the key political issues and to prevent new ones. This Activity Report will prove that we Editors: This publication receives funding from the European Theo Larue Parliament. valuably contributed to these areas, especially when it Margherita Movarelli © Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies 2021 comes to sustainable environmental policy, economic Photos used in this publication and social systems, managing the pandemic, and de- Publication Design: © Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies 2020 Oblique Agency fending our citizens and the Western Community. www.oblique.agency The European Parliament assumes no responsibility for facts or opinions expressed in this publication or their Brussels, February 2021 subsequent use. The Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies is the political foundation and think tank of the [email protected] European People’s Party (EPP) and is dedicated to the +32 (0) 2 300 80 04 promotion of Christian Democrat, conservative and Rue du Commerce 20 like-minded political values. B-1000 Brussels For more information please visit: www.martenscentre.eu WELCOME — 06 07 As the EPP’s political foundation, the Mar- tens Centre monitors, analyses and con- tributes to the debate on EU policy that is relevant for both experts and the broader European public. The six main research themes cover a wide range of specific politi- cal issues. Taking these themes as its point of departure, the Martens Centre produces research papers and policy briefs, and organ- ises events and conferences. All publications are available on: www.martenscentre.eu/publications — PUBLICATIONS 08 09 European View The European View is the policy journal of the Martens Centre. An intellectual platform for politicians, opinion makers and academics, it tackles contemporary themes of European politics, focusing on one specific theme in each issue. New Perspectives on Migration Policies The journal contributes to the debate on the most important fields of European APR. and international politics. What makes it unique is its hybrid nature: its capacity to Edited by Niklas Nováky involve esteemed academics and experts, on the one hand, and high-level politi- Volume 19, Issue 1 cians and decision-makers, on the other. Presidents and prime ministers regularly author articles for the journal. Published in the midst of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, this edition of the European View looked to address a challenge that existed long before the pan- demic and will remain long after, unless it is tackled – migration. It takes stock of the political realities of this important issue, considering its different societal and geo- political aspects, and offers concrete solu- tions for the Union to continue benefitting its citizens in the aftermath of COVID-19. The Great Reset: What COVID-19 OCT. Means for Europe Edited by Niklas Nováky Volume 19, Issue 2 As a far-ranging crisis affecting virtually all areas, COVID-19 has fundamentally reshaped the paradigm for policymak- ers. That is exactly what this edition of the European View sought to address: offering explanations and insights across the board on what this crisis entails, and what the future might look like, ranging from economics to foreign policy, and the all-important strategic autonomy. 11 Publications in 2020 RESEARCH PAPER Lifting the Integration Veil: JUL. JAN. SEP. NOV. Outcasts of Islam in Western MAY. MAR. Europe By Tommaso Virgili Edited by Vít Novotný RESEARCH PAPER Making a More European Britain: The Political, Economic and Societal Impacts of Brexit POLICY BRIEF IN BRIEF IN BRIEF POLICY BRIEF Development Aid, Migration and COVID-19 and the Old-New Politics The Constitutional Basis for Sweden’s Retaking the Cities: By Tim Oliver and Garvan Walshe Conditionality – The Case of the of Irregular Migration from Libya Exceptional COVID-19 Policy A Plan for the Centre–Right Edited by Eoin Drea Marshall Plan with Africa By Vít Novotný By Lars Jonung By Konrad Niklewicz IN BRIEF IN BRIEF By Livia Benko Edited by Eoin Drea Edited by Federico Ottavio Reho The EU and the Prospect of a A Geopolitical, 5G Europe? POLICY BRIEF New Migration Wave from Turkey Brussels needs to go big, IN BRIEF Towards a Sovereign Europe – IN BRIEF IN BRIEF COVID-19 and Technology in the EU: A Centre-Right Approach For a More Robust Approach Towards The Chinese Nightmare: By Vít Novotný or go home Think Bigger than Apps China in European Trade and Debt Risks Along the Silk Road By Eoin Drea By Angelos Chryssogelos By Dimitar Lilkov Investment Policy By Matthias Diermeier, Florian IN BRIEF POLICY BRIEF By Jürgen Matthes Güldner, and Thomas Obst “Flexibility without Limits”. IN BRIEF A Europe That Protects Its Heritage Edited by Eoin Drea Edited by Eoin Drea The Political Economy Implications EU Trade Policy as an Economic By Federico Ottavio Reho of the Coronavirus Recovery Tool and Theo Larue By Eoin Drea By Aljoscha Nau RESEARCH PAPER IN BRIEF IN BRIEF IN BRIEF POLICY BRIEF Made in China: Tackling Whatever it takes, for as long as Putting Women at the Heart A Marathon, not a Sprint: A Six Point The Strategic Compass: Digital Authoritarianism is needed: Mapping a new of Europe’s Recovery Plan to Build Confidence, Create Jobs Charting a New Course for the By Dimitar Lilkov European Recovery Programme By Frances Fitzgerald MEP and Repair Public Finances EU’s Security and Defence Policy By Eoin Drea By Eoin Drea By Niklas Nováky RESEARCH PAPER POLICY BRIEF Fine-Tuning Europe: How to POLICY BRIEF Rethinking EU Crisis Management IN BRIEF IN FOCUS Win the Global FinTech Race? EU Human Rights Promotion – From Battlegroups to a European Implications of the 2020 US The Potential Outcome of the By Tsvetelina Kuzmanova in Central Asia – Between the Legion? Presidential Election for the EU Conference on the Future of Europe Edited by Dimitar Lilkov Dragon and the Bear By Niklas Nováky By Niklas Nováky and Roland in a COVID-19 World: Strengthening By Igor Savchenko, Andrii Freudenstein European Democracy Osavoliuk, and Kateryna Savchenko IN BRIEF By Olivier Le Saëc State of play in the Libyan IN FOCUS IN FOCUS Civil War The New Pact on Migration: The EU’s Security and Defence By Magnus Norell A Set of Innovative Proposals Policy: The Impact of the with an Uncertain Outcome Coronavirus By Vít Novotný By Niklas Nováky IN BRIEF Does the EU have sufficient healthcare competences to cope with COVID-19? By Federico Ottavio Reho IN FOCUS Looking Beyond Coronabonds: What COVID-19 Means for the AUG.