European Development Policy Outlook – Debating Development Research

14/01/2025

Navigating France’s Political Landscape: Implications for International Development Aid

By Hugo Pilkington / Part of the European Development Policy Outlook Series

Amid a welter of political drama, and after having successfully hosted the Summer 2024 Olympic games, France is struggling to find a stable government. The country still has no budget for 2025. This is not the norm (the last time anything roughly similar happened was in 1979) but can be said to proceed from the unusual events of Mid-2024. The current political conundrum arose on the heels of a snap election called, in a surprise move, by Emmanuel Macron, following disastrous results for his own political movement – Ensemble pour la République – during the European elections of June 9, 2024.

10/12/202414/01/2025

Where is UK Development Policy Headed Under the New Government?

By Andy Sumner / Part of the European Development Policy Outlook Series

Chancellor unmoved by cuts of aid budget

The headline is that the UK aid budget was cut by £1.5 billion ($1.9 billion). Despite the flags, it seems the Chancellor was unwilling or unable to provide additional funds to offset the billions of pounds of the UK’s aid budget spent on supporting refugees inside the UK. This makes her the first Labou r chancellor to cut aid below levels of a prior Conservative government.

26/11/2024

Beyond Mergers: Charting Germany’s Development Policy in a Changing World

By Stephan Klingebiel / Part of the European Development Policy Outlook Series

Germany’s political landscape is in a state of flux. Following the coalition’s collapse, key policy decisions will play an important role—not only in the upcoming campaign phase but also in shaping the groundwork for a future coalition agreement that will guide the next federal government. While development policy may not be a top priority, it is under considerable pressure.

19/11/2024

The EU’s Engagement in the G20 – One Way to Deal with Global Power Shifts

By Vy Dang, Sven Grimm and Wulf Reiners / Part of the European Development Policy Outlook Series

The EU has been a permanent member of the G20 since the group was founded in 1999, alongside three member states: France, Germany, and Italy (EU3). Additionally, Spain and the Netherlands are regularly invited as guests to the G20 meetings. Strengthening engagement within the G20 has been one of the key priorities in the EU’s multilateral engagement over the past years, as highlighted in the 2024 Joint Communication by the Commission and High Representative for Foreign Affairs.

06/11/2024

Complex Coherence: Unpacking the EU’s Trade and Development Policy Dilemma

By Frederik Stender and Tim Vogel / Part of the European Development Policy Outlook Series

Trade liberalisation, traditionally seen as a means to promote economic growth and prosperity, has increasingly come under scrutiny for its wider adverse impacts. Increased trade is now also held responsible for environmental degradation, fuelling climate change, and growing inequality, both between high-income countries and developing countries and within the latter. Issues such as child labour remain significant and unresolved, further highlighting the complex challenges associated with global trade practices.