It was not a board meeting like any other: the inaugural meeting of the newly elected EM Germany Board focused on the implementation of the Political Priorities 2018/19. Instead of discussions at the conference table, Board members developed political agendas and measure plans in small groups along graphs for each individual priority. This was also an opportunity for a first intensive exchange of the Board members under the new President Dr Linn Selle.

The aim of the exchange was to develop public affairs strategies for the 14 political priorities EM Germany members adopted at their last general assembly in July. They will shape the political work of the association in the coming year. Each of the Board members also selected one or more political priorities that he or she is particularly committed to.

For EM Germany Secretary General Bernd Hüttemann and his team, it is now a question of evaluating the input collected, complementing stakeholder and theme collections, and planning the year along important milestones such as the likely withdrawal of the UK from the EU, the European elections and the 70th birthday of the European Movement Germany.

Two topics discussed the Board back together at the conference table: the accompaniment of the discussion of the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (in the framework of which EM Germany is particularly committed to implementing a bonus for democratically organised grant applicants), and the strategy for the European elections of 2019.

What should EM Germany’s network campaign look like? What does it need to oppose populist campaigns? What can be drawn from the communications work surrounding the Brexit referendum? The members of the board agreed that populist parties in the European election campaign will provide extremely simple answers to the big questions regarding the future of the EU. Here, Germany’s largest European political network will have to check and unmask. This is only possible with its 247 member organisations and in partnership with European Movement International.

There will not be a mere “keep calm and carry on” in the political work of EM Germany, as the association enters its 70th year of existence.

EM Germany Political Demands 2018/19 (short version) in English. A full version will be available by November 3.