Parties within the Alliance of Liberal and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) signed a declaration in Brussels on Friday aiming to re-establish Europe as a “superpower.”
The document was unveiled by ALDE President Svenja Hahn, flanked by Belgian liberal party leaders Georges-Louis Bouchez (MR) and Frédéric De Gucht (Open Vld).
Bouchez highlighted Europe’s decline in global innovation with a pointed remark: “In the 70s, Europe was known for Airbus, in the 80s for Ariane, and today… for bottle corks.”
Target: an economic, diplomatic and defence superpower
The liberals argue that Europe must regain its status as an economic, diplomatic, and defence superpower.
Svenja Hahn described the recent months as an “embarrassing summer” for Europe, stressing the need for economic revitalisation.
For the Liberals, that requires excellence and innovation, rather than bureaucracy and over-regulation.
The document also focuses on energy, advocating for a mix of nuclear and renewable sources.
'A beacon of freedom and democracy'
On the diplomatic front, Frédéric De Gucht called on Europe to become “the beacon of freedom and democracy” globally.
He also urged institutional reforms to enable quicker decision-making. “We must be proactive, not reactive,” he emphasised.
On defence, the Liberals propose building Europe’s military capabilities domestically and unifying its industry. Belgium recently ordered 11 additional American-made F-35 aircraft under its Vision for Defence strategy, passed in July.
Defending this decision, Bouchez commented that the F-35 offers the “best technology available.”
He added that, while Belgium participates in the European SCAF project to develop a next-generation combat system, tangible results from this initiative may take 10 to 15 years.
