“A Union of Equality” and Its Impact on von der Leyen’s Policy Priorities

Abstract

In her political guidelines, “A Union that strives for more,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a list of six policy priorities. According to her vision of “A Union of Equality,” gender mainstreaming should be a cross-cutting concern in all priorities and policies. This bears the question to what extent this has been the case and how the von der Leyen Commission has navigated opposing factors. The papers presented in this panel undertake a thorough analysis of various policy priorities, scrutinizing them through the lens of gender and other dimensions of (in-)equality. Delving into the practicalities of policy formulation and implementation reveals that breathing life into the vision of “A Union of Equality” in the context of EU public policy is not without challenges, contestations, and setbacks. This panel seeks to address both the achievements and the myriad challenges encountered in the context of gender and equality considerations within policy frameworks, thereby also providing an outlook for follow-up by the next Commission.

Title	Details
An Economy that Works for the People: The Gender Dimension in the EU’s Social and Employment Policy	View Paper Details
A stronger Europe in the world. Von der Leyen’s Foreign Policy	View Paper Details
The European Green Deal through an Equalities lens: A Lost Opportunity?	View Paper Details
Von der Leyen’s Digital Europe: Prioritizing Online Equality?	View Paper Details