The European Union no longer has the luxury of naiveté. While the United States openly practices power politics, China is rapidly advancing its industrial champions, and multilateralism is faltering, Europe remains hampered by its institutional slowness and internal debates. The risk is no longer theoretical: it is that of a lasting decline, both economic and technological, as Draghi emphasized.
And yet, the paradox is striking: the paradigms have changed. Industrial revitalization, European preference, and digital sovereignty now dominate the debate in Brussels.
Four battles will shape the continent's economic future:
1. Simplify to restore the conditions for fair competition, without abandoning the objectives.
2. Adopt an aggressive industrial policy, including through European preference.
3. Massively mobilize European funding.
4. Build a coherent strategy encompassing transition, security, and sovereignty.