Long-Term Policy-Making in the European Union and Beyond

About the project

Crises of all natures shape public policy. While some demand immediate action, others creep up slowly, posing significant long-term challenges. Climate change, an ageing population and the rise of new Artificial Intelligence-powered technologies exemplify these ‘creeping crises’ that evolve slowly yet become increasingly visible over extended periods and threaten societal stability. Such challenges require sustained governmental commitment away from short-term tendencies; yet, our understanding of long-term policy formulation and how to best address creeping crises under different political systems remains notably underdeveloped.

The European Union stands as a unique laboratory for the study of long-term policymaking. Through initiatives such as the European Green Deal, the European Pillar of Social Rights, and its pioneering approach to AI regulation through the AI Act, the EU has developed distinctive institutional mechanisms and policy approaches that attempt to reconcile short-term political imperatives with long-term policy objectives, away from domestic political constraints.

Long-Term Policy-Making in Europe and Beyond (LONGTERMPOL) is a Jean Monnet Chair funded by the European Union’s ERASMUS+ programme, based at the University of Melbourne. The project provides the first comprehensive and accessible analysis of how policymakers approach the challenge of designing, communicating and implementing long-term policies to address global creeping crises. Through a detailed examination of the long-term policy mechanisms used in the European Union and focusing on three global and multi-layered policy challenges (climate change, an ageing population and digital transformation) the project identifies transferable lessons and best practices that can enhance policy effectiveness in other jurisdictions, including Australia and the broader Asia-Pacific region.

The Chair combines interconnected research, teaching, networking and public outreach activities. Its teaching component delivers five modules at undergraduate and graduate levels, featuring an innovative mentoring system that pairs students with EU and Australian policy practitioners. The research component employs a mixed-methods design combining institutional analysis and in-depth qualitative interviews with policymakers across both jurisdictions. Public outreach activities include an annual Jean Monnet Lecture Series and a podcast series, The Long-Term Project, which brings together academics, lobbyists and policymakers to discuss long-term policy issues.

Impact

This project aims to:

• advance theoretical and empirical understanding of how Australia and the European Union develop, communicate and implement long-term policies to tackle global creeping crises, including climate change, an ageing population and digital transformation;
• equip the next generation of policy professionals with practical tools and analytical frameworks for designing and implementing long-term policies, drawing on EU experiences and approaches;
• establish sustainable networks between EU and Australian policy practitioners through a structured mentoring programme, facilitating ongoing knowledge exchange and professional development;
• raise public awareness in the Asia-Pacific region about the mechanisms used by EU policymakers and practitioners to reconcile short-term and long-term policy goals and objectives;
• bridge the significant gap in structured dialogue between EU and Australian policymakers concerning approaches to shared long-term policy challenges;
• contribute to a gradual transformation in how Australian policy practitioners approach long-term policy challenges, informed by EU experiences and institutional mechanisms;
• strengthen EU-Australia institutional connections by creating sustainable channels for ongoing policy dialogue and knowledge exchange between the two jurisdictions.

Publications

Leruth, B. (2024) Political long-termism and the European Union: five research questions for the future. Contemporary European Politics, 2, e70000. https://doi.org/10.1002/cep4.70000

Outcomes

Research

• In-depth interviews with policy practitioners from the EU and Australia across climate, ageing and digital transformation policy domains;
• Academic articles on institutional mechanisms and strategies for long-term policymaking;
• A Research Agenda for the Study of Political Long-Termism, to be published by Edward Elgar in late 2026.

Teaching

• Interconnected subjects at undergraduate and graduate levels, reaching approximately 500 students per year;
• A brand-new graduate subject: Long-Term Policy-Making in Europe and Beyond;
• Policy simulation, ‘Hackathon-style’ events for students across graduate courses;
• Structured mentoring programme pairing graduate students with EU and Australian policy practitioners.

Public outreach and networking

• Annual Jean Monnet public lectures at the University of Melbourne, each featuring guest speakers from the policy and academic communities;
• Podcast series, The Long-Term Project;
• A professional network of policy practitioners (EU and Australian) across the three policy domains;
• Blog articles published via The Conversation and the University of Melbourne’s Pursuit series.

News and events

The Australia-EU trade deal runs deeper than tariffs

After a decade of negotiations, Australia and the EU have finally struck a deal. But beyond the tariffs lies something more consequential – a quiet reshaping of democratic alignment in an unstable world. Read more on Pursuit.