The Europe of 2029 must be a global giant

Following the agreement at the latest Special European Council to make progress on European competitiveness, ahead of decisive European elections, Renew Europe Group President, Valérie Hayer (Renaissance, France), today warned of Europe’s dependence on third countries at a time of geopolitical uncertainty and called for courageous action to enhance prosperity:

“A prosperous Europe is what we all aspire to. I welcome Enrico Letta's report, which makes some fair observations. But his recommendations must be followed by action. We need to take the decisive steps that will ensure our competitiveness. The United States massively subsidises its industries. China overprotects its own. Europe cannot stand by and watch.”

Outlining the priorities for liberals, democrats and progressives ahead of the appointment of a new European Commission, the centrist group leader called for radical steps in integration to be taken to improve Europe’s firepower so it can increase strategic investments, with tangible returns for Europeans and their wallets:

“We cannot allow a gap to develop between the European Union and its international competitors. The latest European summit seems to have provided a wake-up call in this respect - and I am delighted about that. We need to better integrate the internal market and to complete the Capital Markets Union that has been in the pipeline for so many years. We expect the next Commission to take a proactive approach to ensuring that the Europe we leave in 2029 will also be one of the giants of the world.”