Apostol Apostolov, 3E News EU policy correspondent
EU leaders are gathering in an idyllic castle near Liège for an informal summit to rethink Europe — with bold questions on the table: a possible shift toward federation, deeper unity, and digital sovereignty. Reporting from Belgium our correspondent.
A summit to rethink Europe — that is perhaps the most concise way to describe the upcoming informal meeting of EU leaders in Belgium. Behind the walls of a discreet castle near Liège, the bloc’s top decision-makers will revisit the “rescue plan” proposed by Mario Draghi two years ago: what was heard, what was implemented, and what remained misunderstood from the sweeping Report on the Future of European Competitiveness — a document that has become a guiding light for EU commissioners, quoted like scripture at virtually every major forum over the past two years.
The question now is whether it is time for “Super Mario” to once again pull out his famous “bazooka” — this time to neutralise the unpredictability of Donald Trump.
The 12 February meeting comes with many questions and very little time. Draghi’s iconic phrase — that Europe must do “whatever it takes” — appears to be returning to the political agenda. That is certainly the hope of the President of the European Council, who in his invitation letter says he expects Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta to deliver a new “diagnosis” for the EU and propose fresh measures on the road to full economic recovery.
Former Italian Prime Minister and former President of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi has already spoken of a “non-existent” global order and warned that Europe must act faster — even raising the prospect of moving from a confederation toward a federation.
“Everyone should listen very carefully to what Mario Draghi is saying,” OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann noted in an interview with Euronews. “I think Europe is a wonderful place to live, but there are things it needs to rethink to ensure it remains competitive in the future,” he said — effectively “passing the ball” back to the European Commission and its urgent priorities.
What must be decided at speed — and further clarified before the March European Council — becomes clear from the officially circulated programme letter for the one-day meeting at Alden Biesen near Liège.
A Fragmented and Uncompetitive Market in a New Geo-economic Context
A fragmented and uncompetitive market in a new geo-economic context is the central theme highlighted by António Costa, who wants EU leaders to focus on it. A truly unified market, he argues, can be achieved through measures such as cutting red tape, reducing regulatory obstacles for business, and creating a more favourable investment climate.
Costa speaks of a new financial regime that would reduce administrative burdens while simultaneously directing savings into sectors that are productive for Europe — such as digital technologies, telecommunications, capital markets and energy.
“Consolidation is needed to enable competitive enterprises to scale up across the EU. These efforts must always go hand in hand with ensuring affordability and the security of services for our citizens and industrial sectors,” the letter states.
How to Outpace Trump and Xi Jinping?
Between the lines of the draft programme, two key strategic priorities emerge — issues that EU leaders will have to address in the near future:
First: geo-economic pressure. How should the European Union position itself in a world of intensifying — and not always fair — economic competition and growing trade imbalances? How best to respond to economic coercion and reduce dependencies, particularly in relation to critical raw materials and strategic technologies? What opportunities does this challenging environment create for strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy?
Second: internal strategy. Which priorities should guide the deepening and completion of the single market? How can companies be provided with a more favourable regulatory environment?
The questions follow one another rapidly within only a few lines of the letter — which is precisely why Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta have been invited: to share how their views on European competitiveness have evolved since the publication of their two landmark reports.
Is the EU Headed Toward a Real Federation?
Beyond the programme itself, the topic raised by Draghi in front of Belgian students is difficult to avoid: his argument that Europe must become a true federation — or risk becoming “subordinate, divided and deindustrialised” if urgent decisions are not taken.
“Where we are not — in defence, industrial policy and foreign affairs — we are treated as a loose coalition of mid-sized countries that can be divided and managed separately,” the prominent banker argued.
Unity and Sovereignty
Interestingly, the idea of deeper unity comes at the same time as a similar appeal from the Netherlands and its emerging new coalition government. During the presentation of its governing programme, warnings rang out like cannon shots: a weakened European market is an easy target for the US administration and its unpredictable President Donald Trump.
Dutch politicians began speaking of a different kind of unity — one based on European sovereignty in the IT sector, energy, and the protection of critically valuable information. Revolutionary ideas were floated, such as reducing reliance on the services of tech giants Google and Microsoft, developing Europe’s own defence-industrial products, and building genuine digital sovereignty.
“Europe must choose digital autonomy and begin building its own infrastructure. This way, cloud dependencies on the United States will gradually decline, while data and key systems become even more secure,” reads the draft programme of the future Dutch cabinet, expected to take office within a month — in time to prepare and present its views at the next Council meeting in March in Brussels.
Like a Bird for the Cat
The famous musketeer slogan — “one for all and all for one” — has also been echoed in political terms by another outspoken advocate of territorial unity and consolidation: Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever (known for openly dreaming of a future in which Belgium and the Netherlands once again share a single territory).
Coincidence or not, like Mario Draghi, De Wever chose a university lecture hall to share his vision with the future citizens of a united Europe. In Bulgaria, in such cases, we say: “I speak to the daughter, so the daughter-in-law may understand.”
Before stunned Belgian students, the Prime Minister warned that the Old Continent faces the threat of losing its prosperity due to ambitions of over-regulation and a lack of innovation.
“America innovates, China does too — even twice as much — and Europe only regulates. If we do not unify our markets, we are simply like a bird for the cat,” he said.
Starting Somewhere
The list of tasks is clearly enormous, and time is never enough. Still, EU leaders must begin somewhere.
Since the tone is being set around simplifying regulation and reducing administrative burdens, one of the starting points could be a new instrument proposed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen: EU Inc — which we covered in 3E News around the latest edition of the Davos economic forum in January.
Leaders could discuss this “manna from heaven” for entrepreneurs and innovative companies: a mechanism allowing businesses to register a company in any Member State in just over 24 hours — entirely online.
Von der Leyen believes that soon Europe will see “a system in which companies can do business and raise funding seamlessly across Europe — as easily as in unified markets such as the United States or China.”
Business as Usual Is No Longer an Option
“We cannot continue as usual. Bold action is needed to respond to the problems that matter most to Europeans. We cannot achieve this unless we preserve our economic strength. That means we must boost the competitiveness of European business and strengthen our economic resilience. We need a unified approach, and together with the work programme we have developed an agenda to simplify regulation,” reads a still strikingly relevant statement from 2025 by former EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič.
Is 2026 the “moment of Europe’s independence” for the European Commission?
For that to happen, at least half of the objectives already set out will need to be delivered — objectives that are systematically detailed in a highly timely analysis by the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the key risks and opportunities.
The European Commission’s 2026 programme and the priorities of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU clearly indicate a growing focus on competitiveness, “openness to the world”, and the ambition of completing a fully functioning single market by 2028.
Ambitions are great — but time is scarce. That is why action must begin now.
And what better opportunity than the calm of the Belgian countryside and the knightly idyll of Alden Biesen — much like in the era of the Crusaders and their ideals of battles, victories, dominance and the conquest of new territories: America, China, Mercosur and India.