Members agreed that while Europe has long pursued a value-driven foreign policy, this approach must now be firmly anchored in interests, power politics, and real-world capabilities. Value-based policies remain relevant—particularly through trade agreements with democratic partners—but there was broad consensus that the era of lecturing other countries from a position of moral superiority has come to an end.

Several interventions underlined that values can only be credibly promoted if Europe itself is economically strong. Competitiveness, innovation, education, and sustained growth were identified as the foundation of a convincing European model and a prerequisite for projecting values internationally. Prolonged economic stagnation weakens Europe’s influence and has prompted a renewed focus on restoring competitiveness. In this context, excessive regulation and bureaucracy were criticized, with references to existing frameworks such as taxonomy rules, the deforestation directive, and CBAM, which were seen as having undermined economic strength. Rebuilding competitiveness was therefore described as essential not only for prosperity, but also for safeguarding Europe’s values globally.

A second intervention reinforced that security, defense, and competitiveness must be Europe’s top priorities, while adding global ambition as a crucial third pillar. In an increasingly competitive global environment, ambition was described as a prerequisite for relevance. Trade agreements were highlighted as a key instrument of this ambition, particularly with partners such as India, Mercosur, and Australia. Members also noted that public debates on trade are often misguided and that Africa is insufficiently addressed, despite being Europe’s direct neighbor and a region where China, India, and Russia are rapidly expanding their influence.

EU enlargement was identified as a central issue for the next three to five years and an integral part of Europe’s global ambition, strengthening its geopolitical weight and strategic reach. Across interventions, members stressed that values and power are not contradictory but mutually reinforcing. Internal stability based on democracy and freedom is a prerequisite for global influence, and portraying values and power as opposites only serves hostile actors and extremist forces seeking to weaken European Union.

Finally, members emphasized the importance of networks and partnerships. Beyond formal enlargement, Europe must actively align itself with strategic partners and relevant global networks to strengthen its position in international affairs.