Political analysis

Sweden’s shift to the right: what are the implications for the upcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU?

In mid-October, the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) confirmed Ulf Kristersson (Moderate Party) as Sweden’s new Prime Minister. His election marked a shift to the right in Swedish national politics, ending 8 years of ruling by the centre-left Social Democrats. Kristersson heads a three-party centre-right minority government, composed of the Moderates, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals, …

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The EU Prepares to Get Tough Over Corporate Governance

The session of the European Parliament’s Justice Committee earlier this week left no doubt: The EU is working towards a fundamental change in corporate culture in a number of different ways.  Two initiatives were on the agenda, generating a lively debate from the MEPs who were present. Their respective impacts could have a significant impact …

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2020 and Beyond: The Changing Dynamics of Public Affairs in EMEA

Prior to the pandemic, political environments were already becoming increasingly charged. The crisis has pushed public affairs further into the boardroom and to the heart of businesses. The dynamics of the profession are changing too as it strives to reach broadening stakeholder networks. The following are some insights from our public affairs leadership across EMEA …

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Now is the Time for Companies to Strengthen their Approach to ESG and Sustainability

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria have become a focal point for companies, especially as COVID-19 highlights the importance of overlooked social factors. Fortunately, there are steps organizations can take to enhance ESG and sustainability performance while demonstrating how they put their values to work. Learn more from Mark McCall, our global segment leader in …

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Introducing ESG Compass

The Covid-19 crisis has highlighted a shift in the way that ESG and Sustainability is understood and put into practice by companies. If environmental, social and governance concerns were in the past often interpreted as three separate, marginal issues, they are now clearly both more inter-connected and central to business performance. FTI Consulting’s2020 Resilience Barometer™ …

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Human Rights Due Diligence and Sustainable Supply Chains

The European Union is expected to shortly roll out new legal obligations which could include civil liability for human rights abuses and environmental harm in supply chains. This has important implications for European businesses working in a globalised economy across almost every industry; from fashion brands sourcing from textile factories in South Asia, major technology …

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Climate Emergency: Europe is Prepared to Fight for Change, But is it Ready to Adapt?

While the world confronts the impact of the Covid-19 crisis, the climate emergency hasn’t gone away. Its consequences remain a firm fixture in global media headlines, from killer heat waves and floods to melting permafrost, often resulting in loss of life and property as well as disruptions to economic activity. Europe is at the forefront …

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How Businesses Can Help the G20 Step Up its Game

Since the COVID-19 crisis began, critics have accused the G20 of being missing in action. Established in 1999 at finance minister and central governor level, the G20’s original objective was to foster high-level discussion on financial stability among 19 developed and developing countries and the European Union. Together, the members of this exclusive club generate …

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Is Europe Ready to Harness the Power of Apps in the Fight Against COVID-19?

Both the general and specialist media have been awash with coverage of the use of contact tracing apps to fight COVID-19. In this snapshot we set out the key questions around whether apps should be among the tools used to bring Europe out of lockdown. We provide an overview of the current EU position on …

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From Viral to Virtual: Steps to Create a Culture of Collaboration in Virtual Teams During a Time of Crisis

The novel Coronavirus has dealt business a hand of cards it needs to learn to play with, and fast. Across the world, organizations are being forced to reorganize the way they work and collaborate within a matter of days, if not hours. The million-dollar question on everyone’s mind is: “How do we ensure business continuity …

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A Modern Malthusian Check: Managing Unpredictable Uncertainties

Disease and pestilence remain a threat to the modern age. In a globalised media landscape, levels of fear can escalate to unpredictable levels in such a short period that they are more likely to have a disproportionate impact on every business model. The CoronaVirus outbreak is a case in point. However, companies remain largely unprepared …

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Connected Cars: Data Processors in Motion

With vast amounts of (often sensitive) information constantly processed by increasingly more advanced models, connected cars and data handling are firmly on the radar of EU legislators. While GDPR already provides the foundation for the sharing of personal data, new provisions related to connected cars are likely to provide additional guidance for this rapidly-evolving sector. …

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Equivalence in EU Financial Services Legislation – Providing Genuine Value or Adding Confusion?

Equivalence in financial services legislation used to be a topic which did not provoke a lot of excitement. More recently, more questions have been raised than answers – and rightfully so. Global media outlets have followed the recent equivalence discussion with Switzerland in countless articles and the Financial Times, Bloomberg and Reuters have pointed to …

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A Week in Strasbourg is a Long Time in European Politics: How Ursula von der Leyen Was Elected

With only nine votes to spare, Ursula von der Leyen was elected President of the European Commission by a razor-thin margin. In the two weeks between her nomination and the crucial vote in the European Parliament, tensions ran high and the certainty of her electoral victory was not yet solidified. Nothing, however, compared to the …

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The US Hedge on AI Regulation

Hearing global calls for regulation, the U.S. has instead pushed full speed ahead in advocating artificial intelligence innovation. While Ursula von der Leyen, the incoming European Commission president, has promised legislation for a “coordinated European approach on the human and ethical implications of artificial intelligence”, the U.S. continues to put market-focused growth and development over-regulation. …

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The Rise of the Dark Horse: Ursula von der Leyen

German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen emerged last week as the surprise choice of EU leaders for the next European Commission President. Von der Leyen, who is deemed a life-long high achiever, is now facing an uphill battle to receive the support of the European Parliament. But who is von der Leyen? With many …

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The Netherlands: Europe’s most attractive life sciences hotspot, or the next big troublemaker?

The Netherlands certainly has a lot going for it when it comes to attracting the world’s leading biopharmaceutical companies: World-class research institutes, a well-respected healthcare system and not least of all the new home of the European Medicines Agency. FTI Consulting and IvCB explore whether there is another side to the story. Please download the …

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Introducing Spitzenkandidat: Frans Timmermans

June 2019: A gifted communicator, experienced politician and Spitzenkandidat for the S&D group in the European Parliament, Frans Timmermans is the hope of the socialist and Democrats for the European Commission presidency. For the past five years, he has been the First Vice-President of the European Commission, tasked with some of the most complicated and …

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End of the Status Quo: Europe Enters A More Fragmented Future

2019 EU Parliamentary Elections Country by Country Analysis Within this report FTI Consulting Brussels provides an overview of the EU parliamentary elections held from 23rd May through to 26th May 2019, with a country by country analysis of all 28 Member States. All facts and figures are correct at time of publication with some results …

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Initial Overview of EU Parliamentary Election Results

What kind of results define this EU parliamentary election? Pro Europeans across the board will be happy at least that more voters turned out than the previous election in 2014, bucking a downward trend that has been in effect since 1979. However, voting in some Member States remains worryingly low. The two largest traditional parties …

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Top Five Things To Look Out For Ahead Of The EU Elections 2019

All hail the kingmakers ahead of the EU parliamentary elections which start this Thursday (23rd) and conclude on Sunday (26th): On the assumption that the two traditional centre right and left political groupings fail to secure an overall majority, all eyes are on the liberals. Either this election crushes them, or we witness a renaissance. …

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What’s Lost in Translation? Merkel and Macron’s Estrangement Ahead of the EU Elections

How frustrated are the French over Chancellor Angela Merkel’s reluctance to back Emmanuel Macron’s progressive EU reforms? What will happen if France refuses to support the candidacy of the conservatives’ frontrunner Manfred Weber for EU Commission president? Listen to FTI experts Alexandre Houssard from Paris and Martin Kothé from Berlin explain the twists and turns …

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EU Elections – A View From Denmark

May 2019: Geelmuyden Kiese (GK) is part of FTI Consulting’s affiliate network and is Scandinavia’s largest communications agency. GK helps its customers manage change, communicate business plans, digital marketing, design, advertising, public affairs and public relations – telling their clients stories efficiently, both internally and externally. Below the team provides an update ahead of the …

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A View From The Netherlands

IvCB Public Affairs & Stakeholdermanagement is based in the Netherlands and is a Gold Affiliate partner within FTI Consulting’s international affiliate network. IvCB specialises in public affairs, stakeholder management, strategic communications and public strategy. They help their clients that contribute to society and have a good story to engage in constructive dialogues with politicians, society …

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A View From Denmark

Geelmuyden Kiese (GK) is part of FTI Consulting’s affiliate network and is Scandinavia’s largest communications agency. GK helps its customers manage change, communicate business plans, digital marketing, design, advertising, public affairs and public relations – telling their clients stories efficiently, both internally and externally. Below the team provides an update ahead of the forthcoming national …

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A View From: Czechia

News from FTI Consulting’s European affiliate network May 2019: CEC Government Relations is part of FTI Consulting’s affiliate network and is the leading independent public affairs agency in Central Europe. They offer professional public affairs and strategic communications services to multinational clients across a full range of policy areas, including but not limited to Internal …

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European Elections 2019 Preparing Business For A Year Of Change

2019 is going to be a year of major change for Europe with a new Commission appointed in November, but the biggest game changer is likely to be the European Parliament elections in May. The replacement of a significant number of MEPs could see the very real possibility of nationalist and populist parties holding the …

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EU Elections – A View from France

The coming European elections will have a peculiar flavour in France as they will be the first electoral test since Emmanuel Macron’s election in May 2017. Within this context, political parties have launched their campaigns, revealed their strategies and unveiled their candidates this month. The team at FTI Consulting reviews the election landscape. Please download …

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The State of the Union Speech – A Time for Action

On 12 September Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker presented his last State of the Union speech to the European Parliament. Juncker made clear that a lot of work still lies ahead for the Commission and he presented a large number of initiatives which the Commission still has to tackle. In this snapshot we outline the main …

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