Europe has been profoundly shaken by the first three months of Donald Trump’s second administration. And because of this, the EU must urgently embrace a much wider and more ambitious strategic master plan, something it has thus far failed to do.
Meanwhile, the new European Commission has begun its first full year, with the unenviable task of setting the EU agenda amongst all this turbulence. Key early initiatives indicate a focus on shoring up the EU’s resilience, competitiveness and enhancing its strategic autonomy.
However, this isn’t enough. With the rest of 2025 likely to remain tumultuous, now is the moment to assess whether the EU’s current priorities match the urgency of the challenges ahead. There have been some positive steps in the right direction – but more can and should be done.
