EU must uphold its core values and strengthen its future to navigate this new era effectively

At its September plenary session, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted a resolution Defending the EU’s values and strengthening its future in the new geopolitical order, calling for a secure, resilient and strategically autonomous EU. The text highlights the critical momentum for Europe’s strategic response to the current geopolitical challenges, underlining that civil society must keep its central role.

The EESC, acknowledging that the EU is facing unprecedented challenges due to shifting global geopolitics marked by nationalism and authoritarianism, worked on this resolution to mark the new era, calling for a strategic response from Europe.

The text proposes that the EU must become a ‘Security Union’, pursue resilient strategic autonomy, and reinforce its social model and cohesion. It emphasises the importance of inclusive democratic processes, multilateral cooperation and protection of civil liberties.

While presenting the resolution during the EESC plenary, the EESC members and rapporteurs Elena-Alexandra Calistru, Antje Gerstein, Luca Jahier, Winand Quaedvlieg, Sophia Reisecker and Peter Schmidt raised the need to keep fighting for democracy, addressing the present challenges horizontally by involving civil society. They also reaffirmed that the EESC is more committed than ever, and ready to make use of its role as the voice of civil society, prepared to act as a watchdog and moderator.

The EESC stresses that the need to uphold and defend democracy is pivotal. According to the rapporteurs, ‘we are firmly convinced that the European Union’s strength lies in its values, liberal democracies and accountable, transparent political structures and decisions.’

Main messages delivered in the resolution

Core values as pillars of strengths: The EU must continue its founding mission as a global anchor of peace, democracy and the rule of law. The appeal to defend democracy goes out to the EU institutions, governments and political parties as well as to companies, trade unions and civil society at large.

Balancing economic competitiveness and social progress: While the EU aims to improve the global competitiveness of its economy and providing regulatory simplicity and clarity, it should not leave behind social cohesion and social dialogue, ensuring that neither pure profit nor social expenditure can be the sole objective.

Commitment to multilateralism and inclusive dialogue: The EU’s power is built on cooperation and compromises, reflecting different interests. On the global scale, the EU needs to be part of multilateralism, while encouraging active participation from all stakeholders to maintain social cohesion and political balance.