Europe now knows the outcome of the German federal elections held on 24 September, with Angela Merkel re-elected as Chancellor. Rightly or wrongly, the European Union (EU) has been marking time, with the future of EU reform on hold pending the result. It remains to be seen what impact the election outcome will have on talks of a new Franco-German initiative, designed to give a new impetus to the European project. A number of open questions were discussed at this EPC Elections Monitor event. How can we explain the outcome of the federal elections? What might be the consequences for Germany and the EU? What kind of government/coalition are we likely to see in Germany and how might each of the possible coalitions affect the EU and its future? Will we indeed witness a revival of the Franco-German engine, and what might a potential joint initiative between Berlin and Paris look like?

Speakers included: Fabian Zuleeg, Chief Executive of the European Policy Centre (EPC), and Janis A. Emmanouilidis, Director of Studies at the EPC.