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 on 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.

While presenting the resolution during the EESC plenary, 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.

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 provide 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. At global level, the EU needs to be part of multilateralism, while encouraging active participation from all stakeholders to maintain social cohesion and political balance (mt)