Europe’s Competitiveness and the Cost of Immobilism – HuffPost
HuffPost has published my latest commentary on Europe’s competitiveness, trade policy, and the strategic implications of recent EU decisions. The article highlights a central paradox: Europe talks about competitiveness and strategic autonomy, yet often hesitates when concrete trade decisions must be made.
Europe’s Competitiveness and the Cost of Immobilism
At a recent informal retreat of European leaders focused on competitiveness in Alden Biesen, one message emerged clearly: Europe can no longer afford immobilism. Declining productivity, fragmentation of the Single Market, and the inability to translate ambition into decisions risk pushing the European Union to the margins of an increasingly competitive global economy.
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Mario Draghi’s warning was direct: without scale, investment, and access to global markets, Europe cannot strengthen either its growth or its strategic autonomy. Competitiveness and openness are not opposites—they are mutually reinforcing.
This view resonates with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s statement that Europe should remain open to free trade, provided reciprocity is ensured. Reciprocity is a legitimate and necessary principle, if clearly defined and aligned with Europe’s strategic interests. The danger arises when “reciprocity” becomes a vague justification for delays and political vetoes that ultimately weaken competition and slow growth.
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Recent EU trade initiatives show that Europe understands the strategic value of trade. Progress with India, renewed negotiations with Australia, and the near-completion of the EU–Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA) demonstrate that trade is recognized as a tool for competitiveness and access to critical supply chains.
Yet the Mercosur agreement tells a different story. After more than twenty years of negotiations, it has once again been postponed. Formally procedural, the delay reflects political resistance rather than regulatory concerns. The result is a freeze on competition, growth, and industrial integration.
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The paradox is clear: Europe speaks of autonomy and resilience, yet hesitates to use one of its most powerful tools, regulated trade agreements. Meanwhile, other global actors advance with coherent industrial and commercial strategies.
Openness and reciprocity are not alternatives. But without concrete decisions, reciprocity risks becoming a refined name for immobilism. And today, immobilism is the most expensive policy Europe can choose.
