How Europe can capitalize on its bright future
Arab News · Thomas Buberl ·
How Europe can capitalize on its bright future
I was born in Germany, I studied in Switzerland and the UK, and I served as a reserve officer in the French navy. Today, I am a French citizen leading a French company that operates in more than 50 countries. I am, above all, a European.
My personal history reflects what Europe has achieved: countries that fought one another for centuries forged a union characterized by peace, freedom and prosperity, grounded in democracy and the rule of law and committed to solidarity and social protection. And yet, we have grown so accustomed to these conditions that we often take them for granted. While outsiders still largely view the EU as a model of freedom and opportunity, we Europeans tend to focus on our weaknesses: a cumbersome bureaucracy, aging populations, technological inertia and a dearth of global “champions” in critical sectors.
These weaknesses are real but they are hardly insurmountable if we act now. The longer we wait to tackle the challenges we face, the less confident we will be in our ability to do so. As rapid technological transformation and intensifying strategic rivalries generate profound uncertainty and even existential risk, the last thing Europe needs is to lose sight of its strengths.
Read the full story at Arab News · All coverage of this story