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Press Release
Global politics in focus: The mega-election in India and its implication for Europe

As part of event series ''Global politics in focus'', the Brussels Office of the Hanns Seidel Foundation is organising an online briefing with Judith-Weinberger Singh, Resident Representative, Hanns Seidel Foundation India, to discuss the outcome of the parliamentary election in India and its implications for the wider region and the EU. The event will be held on Thursday, June 6th 2024 at 10:00 am (CET)/ 1:30 pm (IST).

The national parliamentary election in India is the biggest in history with nearly 970 million voters participating from 19 April to 1 June 2024. Frontrunner is India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and the party bloc NDA (National Democratic Alliance) which is led by his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Modi´s campaign focuses on Hindu identity and nationalism. He also argues that he has successfully delivered economic growth, infrastructure projects and improved India’s standing in the world during his ten years in office. In this context, the recently formed opposition bloc, INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) with 27 parties, faces an uphill battle. According to the opposition, a third term for Modi would strengthen his Hindu nationalist agenda and could potentially lead to democratic backsliding.

For the EU, India, as one of the fastest-growing economies, is an important trade partner. Trade in goods between the two has increased by about 30% in the past decade. Moreover, through a new Trade and Technology Council (2023) both have been collaborating on digital transformation and green technologies. In 2021, negotiations of a Free Trade Agreement were resumed. Yet, they could not be finalised before the elections as planned, and will most likely be part of the new government’s agenda. As the biggest democracy, India also plays a key role in securing stability and prosperity in Asia.

We cordially invite you to discuss questions such as: Who won the elections and why? What consequences does the result have for the wider region and the EU, especially on the negotiations of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement?

Programme

1:30 pm (IST) Welcome:

                         Dr. Thomas Leeb, Director, Brussels Office of the Hanns Seidel Foundation

                       Statement, discussion and Q&A:

                       Judith Weinberger-Singh, Resident Representative Hanns Seidel Foundation India

                       Moderator: Michelle Wiesner, Programme Manager, Brussels Office of the Hanns

                       Seidel Foundation

2:15 pm (IST)  End of event

Please register here by Wednesday 5 June 2024.