In June, citizens of all countries in the European Union will vote for their representatives in the next European Parliament, the EU’s legislative body. The results of these elections will have a major impact on the future direction of European development policy; in 2023, EU institutions spent nearly $27 billion on aid, and stood at the forefront of decisions on support for Ukraine, migration policy, climate action, partnerships with third countries, and more.

On this episode of the CGD Podcast, I speak with several guests with close ties to the European Parliament who can offer insight on what’s to come. First, Emily Wigens, EU Director at the ONE Campaign, shares her thoughts on the role of the European Parliament in shaping the EU’s development policy, the shifting politics around development, and the challenges the next Parliament is likely to face. Then we hear directly from two current Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), Charles Goerens of Luxembourg and Udo Bullmann of Germany, on their experiences as members of the European Parliament’s development committee, as well as their expectations and priorities for the next five years, if re-elected.

“Related to the pandemic and the climate crisis, we’ve seen a series of big global promises, commitments on everything from vaccine equity to climate mitigation and adaptation,” says Emily in the podcast. “But I think there’s a real urgency to convert these promises into action, and that’s where the [next] Parliament can really help ensure that there is political pressure, political will to move towards implementation of these commitments.”

Listen to the full episode here.