About the Speech:
Minister Ayrault’s speech, entitled: The Need for Europe, was part of the Institute’s EU27 Perspectives lecture series. The UK’s forthcoming EU withdrawal negotiations, the rise of populist parties in Member States, the continuation of the migration crisis, and prolonged instability in Europe’s neighbourhood will impact on key elections in the EU this year. The elections in the Netherlands, Germany and France will have considerable implications for the future course of the EU. Against this backdrop, Minister Ayrault argued that the need for Europe as a countervailing force is compelling.
About the Speaker:
Minister Ayrault has been Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development since February 2016. Prior this, he was Prime Minister from May 2012 to March 2014. Before his appointment as Prime Minister, he was the Mayor of Nantes from 1989 to 2012. In 1988, he was first elected to the National Assembly and he has retained his seat since then. He was the President of the Socialist Party in the National Assembly from 1997 until 2012.
