Security and EU in the world

The Union influences the neighbouring states through the enlargement policy, the possibility of belonging to the European family motivating these countries to implement structural reforms that align them with the accession criteria. We need a political commitment at the Union level, an accelerated resumption of the enlargement process, an increase in the Union’s capacity to receive new members and an increase in diplomatic efforts and material support for the candidate countries. After the Western Balkans countries, which are the first on the waiting list, the next step is the extension to the Eastern Partnership, of which the Republic of Moldova is a part. The European Union can become stronger globally through its influence on candidate countries. Strategic prioritization of enlargement policy can be one of the adjustments facilitated by the Conference on the Future of Europe.

Globally, the European Union has two strengths: a fixed set of values to which all Member States adhere and the ability to regulate according to those values, which, thanks to the European market of over 450 million consumers with high purchasing power, has a strong impact in the international system. This influence, the strongest foreign policy instrument of the Union, is weakened by the fact that the Member States have different approaches to Russia, an undemocratic actor, whose foreign policy goal is to sabotage the European project, both by bilateral influence as well as through widespread disinformation campaigns. The Conference on the Future of Europe is a good time to define a coherent and united European strategy for Russia.

The security of the European Union is ensured by NATO; 21 European states are part of both NATO and the EU. The strategic uncertainty posed by international volatility, new hybrid technology threats, climate change and related crises, and the rise of radical political currents is exacerbated by the repositioning of the US  and the EU’s ambition to have “strategic autonomy”.

This terminology has implications that may jeopardize good cooperation with the United States and NATO and needs to be clarified together with the United States and in the context of NATO. The development of  European military capabilities and military doctrine must be complementary to NATO and lead to a fair and agreed sharing of global responsibilities with the United States, especially in the context in which the North Atlantic Alliance must be reinvented to cope with current challenges. The Conference on the Future of Europe is a good time to reaffirm, clarify and strengthen the transatlantic link and EU-NATO collaboration.

Digital transformation is a geostrategic factor. The countries or global actors that will successfully navigate the transition to a digital age will be the new global superpowers. The COVID-19 crisis has only demonstrated to a small extent the role that technology will play in the future. And in this area, the Union has an advantage as a regulator, but also a great disadvantage in terms of global competitiveness, where the US and China are fighting for supremacy in the digital space. From technical standards to digital infrastructure, to education, innovation and the role of technology in strengthening democracy, the Union must become a digital superpower. The current Commission has begun regulatory work in the digital field but pays far too little attention to the geopolitical dimension.

In the new global configuration, neither the EU nor the US, alone, will be able to offer a viable alternative to the Chinese digital transformation model. To ensure that the digital future is democratic and maintains a rules-based international system, the Conference on the Future of Europe must mark a turning point in the transatlantic relationship in terms of digital transformation. The launch of a global alliance of digital democracies, equally supported by the EU and the US, is a proposal that takes shape on both sides of the Atlantic and could be a concrete and direct outcome of the Conference on the Future of Europe.

In a world in which EU Member States have, individually taken, less and less external influence, extensive coordination at the level of multilateral bodies is needed. The interests of the Member States could be more strongly represented in these bodies if they were expressed in a single voice, that of the European Union. A strengthened commitment at the Member State level to give the Union a more prominent role in foreign policy would lead to better results for each country.