Yay, 9th of May

LinkedIn blog post, 09/05/2025, by Sven Franck (en français , in Deutsch)

TL;DR - Yay, it's Europe day! A while ago, I wrote that everybody is proudly European for a day before going back to national politics.

Not much has changed: There are ubiquitous calls a stronger Europe faced with a United States dismantling the global economy and international order. Yet, new chancellor Friedrich Merz visits Donald Tusk and Emmanuel Macron. Why not at least a symbolic visit to the invisible Ursula von der Leyen? On this Europe day perhaps?

Let's be honest: we're stuck. Within Europe, where integrating our 27 markets could create an actual single market to withstand external tariffs and seriously compete with China and the US. And beyond Europe, where the EU could at least do the obvious and take over financing of Radio Free Europe and USAid to significantly upgrade our soft-power. What's a few billions compared to the 800 billion, we're willing to dole out for 27 different defence strategies aka "European defence"?

Like every year on May 9th, you can duly swallow a European blue pill and take solace as your national party in power will demand a stronger Europe, wave a blue flag, lip-service EU reforms and, if you're lucky, drop the "F-word".

Or you can call the annual charade and acknowledge that with national parties, Europe's not gonna happen. Either we work transnational (wink Volt Europa) or the EU will be worn to pieces in the equivalent of a national Groundhog day.

What to do? We need a red pill to reset the European project. One year is a good time frame cook up a red pill. Curious? Follow me. Wanna cook? PM me. #jumpstartEU