[FR] Belgian Presidency of the Union 2010: Getting Europe back on track and laying the institutional foundations for the future

Belgium, which takes over the presidency of the European Union from Spain on 1 July 2010, begins its term against a backdrop of national political crisis. Following the Danish (1993), Italian (1996) and Czech (2009) presidencies, it is now Belgium’s turn to preside over the Union with a government that has resigned. This presidency also comes at a time of economic, financial and social crisis in Europe and at the end of the transition period for the implementation of the new Lisbon Treaty. In this difficult context, will Belgium be able to meet the dual challenge of managing the EU Presidency at this crucial time while revising its own national constitutional foundations?