Ave Europa 12 points for seizing Europe’s destiny
We are living through an age of existential risk, marked by the convergence of multiple and mutually reinforcing crises: climatic disruption, geopolitical fragmentation, economic instability, demographic imbalances, and rising societal tensions. These are not isolated shocks—they are parts of a systemic transformation that is accelerating, forming what many are calling a perfect storm.
In response, Europe is undergoing a profound strategic shift. The post-Cold War era of complacent optimism—of irenic belief in perpetual peace and stability—is giving way to a more sober, clear-eyed assessment of the dangers that lie ahead. Across the continent, there is a growing awareness that resilience and preparedness are not just a policy goal but civilisational imperatives.
Ave Europa was founded to accompany and accelerate this epochal shift. Our mission is to articulate and champion twelve key public policy priorities that Europe must confront with determination, courage, and clarity of vision. These priorities are neither abstract nor technocratic—they are the foundation stones of our shared future.
As the great poet of the Rhine once wrote, “Where the danger grows, so too grows the saving power.” This is the paradox of our time. Like every pivotal era in history, we are poised between the best of times and the worst of times. What will determine the outcome is not fate, but the strength and lucidity of our citizens.
Europe needs engaged, informed, and resilient people—those who are not paralysed by complexity, but galvanised by it. The policy priorities we introduce here embody both our diagnosis of the present moment and our commitment to building a stronger, more sovereign, and future-proof Europe.
This is only the beginning.
1. Establishing European Strategic Autonomy
To achieve geopolitical autonomy, Europe requires a common defence force that can operate within NATO and independently when necessary, alongside a coherent and unified foreign policy. Europe should not rely on external powers for its security, border protection and global influence.
2. Rebuilding Europe’s Industrial Capacity
Strategic independence requires more than diplomatic resilience; it demands both industrial strength and the revitalisation of its economic base. From clean energy to defence capabilities, Europe must rebuild its productive foundations to remain a prominent and relevant geopolitical actor.
3. Advancing a Competitive Green Transition
A low-carbon and high-tech Europe that is resilient to global shocks rests on three fundamental pillars: first, the development of decarbonised energy that is clean, reliable and available at scale; second, the diversification of the EU energy supply through forms of low-carbon energy, notably nuclear power; and third, the securing of critical materials for energy technologies. Decarbonisation should not just focus on environmental protection, but also drive more competitive and sustainable economic growth.
4. Completing Europe’s Financial Architecture
Europe urgently requires a capital markets union that matches its ambitions for a prosperous future and unlocks long-stifled capital markets investments. Implementing this is crucial if the European Union is to achieve a truly unified single market; it is also essential that the banking union is finalised and the Eurozone is reformed as well. These are strategic if the EU wants to see the emergence of a new, pan-European financial market that can compete with the US and allocate capital, investment flows, risk sharing, and economic resilience across borders more efficiently. Such measures are key preconditions necessary for the next generation of innovation and development in Europe.
5. Redefining Trade and Securing Global Supply Chains
Europe must reorient the global move towards international openness with its own strategic coherence. Europe’s trade and industrial policies should guarantee that supply chains are secure and critical economic sectors are protected. They should also ensure that we’re fostering the kind of industrial leadership that makes sense for Europe’s foreign and domestic interests. This economic strategy isn’t just a matter of separate European national preferences; it’s essential to have inter-European cooperation to combine economic strength in an increasingly complex and multipolar world, to compete and stay ahead of other great powers in the modern age.
6. Investing in Scientific and Intellectual Autonomy
Europe cannot surrender its imagination to others. The continent must strengthen its research institutions, ensure academic independence, and foster a culture of scientific ambition. A combined methodological approach for retaining European talent will include sustained intellectual investments, competitive grant schemes, and the free movement of researchers across Member States, which will also contribute to creating a pan-European research space. Europe will once again show that its knowledge, creativity, and pioneering spirit are at the very heart of global progress and innovation.
7. Engaging the Frontiers: Space, Biotech, Deep Tech
Technological leadership takes shape at the very frontiers of discovery. Europe must position itself not as a follower, but as a primary innovator in these domains. Key sectors include space exploration, life sciences, and next-gen engineering. The European Union must advance continent-wide, integrated industrial projects – a politically feasible task that spans multiple Member States. Such initiatives should be anchored in financing and governance arrangements that enable both co-funding and shared control across the various Member States.
8. Reclaiming Digital Sovereignty
Europe must regain control over its digital infrastructure, data governance, and cloud databases. It has to do this to regain autonomy in the technological sphere. This should be firmly anchored in democratic integrity and human accountability, as well as in long-term strategic foresight. Europe must write its rulebook with sufficient counterbalance. Equally important, Europe can and should protect the online lives of its citizens, especially from disinformation from hostile actors who seek to undermine democratic stability, social cohesion, or electoral integrity. The half-measures in this regard to date have weakened public trust in the digital technologies that everyone increasingly relies on.
9. Preserving European Cultural Continuity
Amidst technological acceleration and cultural standardisation, Europe must affirm the uniqueness of its civilisational heritage, not as mere nostalgia, but as a living framework for societal orientation and a foundational purpose for current and future generations of Europeans. Furthermore, promote and cultivate the concept of a ‘layered identity’ for all European people; their identity stemming firstly from their region, then their nation and finally their civilisation. This shall be pursued to foster a continental bond that’s upheld and rooted in Europe’s pluralism and cultural diversity.
10. Restoring the Social Foundations of Prosperity
The family is a key structure that ensures the continuity of our civilisation and provides one of the most important anchors for individual security and prosperity. Europe needs to find innovative ways to ensure that families form more frequently and face fewer challenges, such as through access to affordable housing and stronger intergenerational cooperation.
11. Towards a Responsible and Controlled Migration Framework
Europe requires a clear migration policy founded on the principles of respecting our laws, cultural compatibility and effective border management. It is essential to implement measures that slow and eventually reverse high levels of both regular and irregular migration, which exert considerable pressure on social integration, employment opportunities, and public services. A humane yet firm stance on illegal immigration should include strengthened border controls, reform of the asylum system to prevent abuse, and the repatriation of failed asylum applicants.
12. Critical Institutional Reform
If the European project is to reclaim clarity, legitimacy, and effective governance, it must change. Reforming the European Union’s institutional architecture is not merely a matter for bureaucrats, but a democratic imperative. Such political transformations are necessary – introducing a fair and democratic balance of power among the Commission, Parliament, and Council, as well as ensuring transparency in the legislative process and accountability in policymaking bodies. Any organisational restructuring must, at its core, ensure that Europe is well-equipped to face the challenges ahead.
