Javier Solana, President of EsadeGeo: “The European Union has to take action, and the longer we take, the worse”
In today’s increasingly complex and fragmented international context, the European Union is at a crossroads. Javier Solana, President of EsadeGeo, warned about the need for Europe to adopt reforms to face the challenges posed by world powers such as the United States, Russia, and China. "We’re in another world, and it’s going to be hard for us to understand and respond to a United States that is heading down a completely wrong path,” he declared during his speech at the conference, “Rupture or reform: European democracies in a fragmented world,” organized by EsadeGeo on our Madrid conference.
Solana considered the US administration’s call for votes in favor of the extreme right AfD in the recent German elections “a great mortal sin.” “That group,” he highlighted, “stands for everything the Americans fought against and for which they died.”
During the debate focused on the future of the EU in today’s fragmented global context, the EsadeGeo President underscored the urgent need to take political action: “We’ve spent these past few years reflecting; we have the Draghi and Letta reports, which everyone values. Let’s stop arguing. It’s time to take action: the longer we take, the worse.” For example, he mentioned the brain drain and the flight of European capital to the United States, where young entrepreneurs have to go to find financing for their technological projects given the lack of an integrated capital market in Europe.
More European integration given recent geopolitical changes
The debate, moderated by EsadeGeo Director, Ángel Saz-Carranza, also included participation by Arancha González Laya, Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at SciencesPo and former Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Andrea Rizzi, correspondent for global affairs and columnist at El País.
González Laya defended the need to push for economic reforms to guarantee European competitiveness and inclusive growth, without creating inequalities and with a sustainable focus. She also highlighted what European integration lacks in certain key sectors, such as energy, technology, capital markets, and, especially, security and defense, which she referred to as “an enormous Achilles’ heel.”
“The path forward for Europeans is a reform that pays close attention to democracy, because we know we want to continue to be democracies,” declared González Laya. She also warned about the internal forces that threaten democratic values within the European space itself. In her analysis of the current international situation, she argued that the US is going through a period of rupture and that a part of its techno-libertarian government aims to “destroy the system and the European Union.” She concluded that, “It’s up to us, as Europeans, to decide how to respond to all this, change the focus to what Europe can do in order to avoid becoming vassals and ensure that we have the ability to design our own future.”
For his part, Andrea Rizzi described the current situation as “an extremely profound change of era,” highlighting the existential challenges Europe faces. Among these he cited attacks from authoritarian regimes such as Russia against the multilateral world order based on democracy, human rights, and a respect for territorial integrity. He also warned about the rise of far-right forces in the West that have capitalized on the working classes’ discontent over the effects of globalization and precarious employment. "Small reformist tweaks will not be enough,” ensured Rizzi, advocating instead for “a new leap forward in integration which guarantees greater security, autonomy, and competitiveness.”
China: A necessary but prudent relationship
In terms of European relations with China, González Laya was adamant in signaling that it is impossible for the EU to maintain a close alliance with the Asian country like the one previously had with the United States. That is because China does not share the same values such as freedom and individual rights. That notwithstanding, she underscored the importance of defining a functional relation with Beijing before China and the US reach an agreement that sidelines Europe. For his part, Rizzi defended the need to “define, nourish, and help bloom” collaborative spaces with China but “with extreme prudence,” given that Beijing is promoting a change in the world order which isn’t necessarily aligned with European values.
The debate evidenced that the European Union finds itself at a critical juncture. The question is no longer should it undertake reforms or not, but, rather, how to do so quickly and effectively to ensure its future in an increasingly fragmented world.
