International Symposium – Europe Reclaiming its Sovereignty

In a world where empires are resurfacing and resource wars are reshaping the balance of power, Europe faces a crucial question : can it still guarantee its sovereignty? Can it escape vassalage and becoming a museum piece?

In an era of multiple dependencies (energy, industrial, technological, agricultural, and military), it is urgent to directly question our continent's capacity to remain master of its own destiny. Is Europe sovereign when, for example, the support of the United States—as is the case today in Ukraine—is indispensable to combat the aggression of a foreign power? When other powers intervene on its soil or dictate the terms of its prosperity, it is the very idea of ​​Europe as a free and independent power that falters. While the major powers secure their resources and bolster their strategic autonomy, Europe negotiates, procrastinates, and becomes dependent. Each crisis reveals the same truth: we are consuming the sovereignty of others.

The EU must free itself from these dependencies. But the path to sovereignty begins with economic recovery, cheap energy production, the development of hard skills, and massive reindustrialization. How can it remain competitive with electricity more than twice as expensive as in China, the US, and India? With a continent that files 17 times fewer patent applications than China? With grid connection times twice as long as in the US? And so on.

For the first time in Belgium, an international symposium, organised in collaboration with the Cercle de Wallonie Bruxelles, entirely devoted to strategic autonomy, will bring together in one place, the Egmont Palace in Brussels, leading players: at this stage, some twenty Belgian and foreign university professors, 5 CEOs, several MEPs, 6 ministers in office and 3 European commissioners have already confirmed their presence.

The speakers are already confirmed!

Join this day of reflection and decision-making, in the heart of Brussels, to help redefine the course of a sovereign, strong Europe capable of defending, on the international stage, the rule of law, fundamental freedoms and universal rights.

Georges-Louis Bouchez,

President of the Jean Gol Centre and of the MR

Visit ALDE Party member MR's event page to sign up and find out more about this event!

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Programme for the day:

• 9.00: Introduction
• 9:30-10:30: Panel 1: Financial sovereignty, competitiveness and deregulation
• 10:30-11:30: Panel 2: Food Sovereignty
• 11:30-12:30: Panel 3: Security Sovereignty
• 12.30-13h30: Lunch & networking
• 13:30-14:30: Panel 4: Sovereignty & Free Trade in the Age of the Return of Empires
• 14:30-15:30: Panel 5: Sovereignty of Critical & Strategic Raw Materials
• 15:30-16:30: Panel 6: Energy & Technological Sovereignty
• 16:30-17:45: Panel 7: Becoming a Superpower Again
• 17:45-18:15: Conclusions by the president of the CJG and the MR, Georges-Louis Bouchez
• 18:15: Cocktail reception & networking