When embarking on the grand adventure of the European project, Jean Monnet said: “Europe will be forged in crises, and will be the sum of the solutions adopted for those crises”.[1] Today, Europe is not only in crisis; its very existence in the world and in the brutal concert of hegemonic nations is at stake. If it regains its footing, liberal democracy and a return to the fundamental value of peace will prevail. If it fails, we risk a slow slide into a world without rules and with values different to ours. Stuck between the United States and China, whose interventionist policies deeply disrupt all basic rules of international trade, Europe stands at a crossroads. It faces three major challenges of democratic, environmental, and economic nature.
The Democratic Challenge
Europe’s original promise lies in its ability to integrate all those on our continent who share our democratic, liberal, and solidarity-based values. Many countries aspire to join this European adventure, and among them, some—like Ukraine—even fight for our security and ideals. To fulfill this noble and just promise of enlargement, Europe must regain its power by thoroughly renewing its democratic system. A 35-members Europe first requires major reforms.
The Verhofstadt report[2] outlines a path to simplifying and democratizing our treaties by reducing the currently extensive scope of veto power and expanding the use of qualified majority voting. Granting the European Parliament significant legislative initiative power, alongside the Commission, in line with what exists in our national European democracies, is also at the heart of the report by the former Belgian Prime Minister. None of this is a renunciation of our respective sovereignties; it is about having the ability to face major global challenges together, fully aware of the abyss that a solitary, uncoordinated approach by European states would represent.
Our Europe must also reclaim its foundation, which sets it apart from other nations: the rule of law. This is the only safeguard of the liberal democracy envisioned by Montesquieu. Today, this rule of law is under attack everywhere. Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter (now X), coupled with Donald Trump’s return to the White House, spearheads a movement against fundamental legal principles. Europe was the first to adopt ambitious regulations through the Digital Services Act (DSA), led by Thierry Breton. The major challenge since the Commissioner’s departure is to implement these rules, which define our ability to balance freedom of expression with respect for the fundamental values of our Union through the rule of law. Moreover, within Europe itself, mechanisms to counter those who undermine the rule of law, such as Hungary, must be strengthened and made more immediate. We cannot be credible on these issues if the political weight of those who disregard the rules of our shared governance continues to grow.
The Environmental Challenge
Driven by a concerned younger generation, the ecological and energy transition must be an opportunity for Europe to distinguish itself from other global powers in its collective ability to address the great challenges of our century. The Green Deal adopted under the first Von der Leyen Commission must be implemented without delay and its timeline respected. However, that alone will not be sufficient. This Green Deal must also be accompanied by a new policy of significant investment.
At its core, as Mario Draghi’s report[3] recommends, the ecological challenge should serve as a historical rebound opportunity for Europe. Massive, decarbonized investments in new technologies will elevate us to the ranks of those who successfully tackled the century’s defining challenge, significantly strengthening our power. Around €800 billion—4% of the EU’s GDP—will need to be allocated to address these challenges and prevent Europe’s decline.
Every member state is thus faced with one of the greatest challenges: being able to generate significantly greater investment margins than before. This requires rethinking all our economic, financial, and budgetary certainties at both the national and EU levels. Once again, perhaps a temporary relaxation of the Maastricht Treaty’s convergence criteria could be considered as part of the much-needed and urgent institutional reform of our Union.
The Economic Challenge
Finally, the third great existential challenge we face is no less significant: the future of our vast single market. First, it is important to recall that this is the largest market in the world, with nearly 500 million consumers. However, when Enrico Letta speaks of a “decline of the decline,” he sounds the alarm on the sustainability of this great single market.
Too many obstacles still hinder European actors, further exacerbating Europe’s economic dependency. Our market, flooded with Chinese electric vehicles, is a prime example of our naivety and our failure to rebuild our power. To address this, the union of capital markets is no longer a luxury—it is an absolute necessity. This will enable a much more efficient transition from savings to the essential and vital investments we need.
Building a unified market for networks and telecommunications, as well as for defence industries, must allow the EU to assert its weight in an increasingly brutal world where trade and exchange rules are no longer respected.
In conclusion, the European Union is walking a precarious tightrope. Its fall would drag down an already ailing West, whose values, paradoxically, have never been more envied worldwide. Only a Copernican revolution in political, institutional, legal, and economic terms will enable Europe to remain standing—because only by standing can we write history.
[1] Jean Monnet, Memoirs, 1976
[2] European Parliament, Report on Proposals of the European Parliament for the Amendment of the Treaties, 2023
[3] Mario Draghi, The future of European competitiveness, 2024
