Europe faces the enormous task of protecting the foundations of its shared values and its ability to act against increasing pressure from both outside and within. External actors are attempting to deepen divisions within the EU, for example by exploiting economic dependencies and deliberately influencing democratic processes and institutions. At the same time, domestic political polarisation and the loss of a shared understanding of the European way of life are threatening inner cohesion. Europe therefore needs a common narrative that links freedom, security and prosperity as inseparable goals.
The challenge here is that national interests and political sentiment significantly shape Europe's scope for action in forming such a narrative. This reveals a close interconnection between foreign and domestic policy and, depending on the policy area, both convergence and divergence between member states. Governments are increasingly united in their awareness of the need for action on security policy, while disagreement persists on migration and rule of law issues. The growing willingness to adopt right-wing populist narratives threatens European unity.
The development of an effective European security and defence policy appears particularly urgent. The EU must invest more in capabilities, structures and industrial cooperation in order to strengthen its strategic autonomy and remain credible within NATO. There remains controversy over what institutional reforms and what kind of flexibility are needed to enable the EU to act more effectively in crises, and how existing treaty instruments can be better used to overcome blockages and deepen cooperation. This also affects the economic strength of the EU, as geopolitical and geo-economic issues are inextricably linked. A resilient, innovative and economically strong EU is a prerequisite for political sovereignty and global weight.
These are just some of the findings from the IEP Annual Conference 2025. A detailed conference report will be published in the academic quarterly integration. The conference took place on 25 and 26 September in cooperation with the Academic Advisory Council of the IEP and was kindly supported by the Federal Foreign Office and the EU's Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme.
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