di Juliette Mizzi —
Sintesi in italiano
Alla fine del 2026, l’Europa deve affrontare l’incertezza come una nuova normalità. Intelligenza artificiale, crisi energetica, tensioni geopolitiche ed elezioni alimentano le preoccupazioni, soprattutto tra i giovani. La Generazione Z, già penalizzata dalla pandemia, deve affrontare la perdita di valore percepito della laurea, la riduzione dei lavori di ingresso e l’aumento dei prezzi delle abitazioni. L’insicurezza, tuttavia, interessa tutte le generazioni. In questo quadro, Ursula von der Leyen individua nell’Europa lo strumento capace di garantire una reale sovranità ai cittadini.
Sul piano economico, l’Unione deve recuperare terreno rispetto a Cina e Stati Uniti nei settori della tecnologia, dell’innovazione e della produzione industriale. Proposte come EU Inc., o “28° regime”, e l’Industrial Accelerator Act mirano a sostenere le imprese e i prodotti europei. I rapporti Draghi e Letta hanno indicato la necessità di semplificare le regole e rafforzare la competitività, ma l’attuazione procede lentamente: secondo il testo, a luglio 2026 risultava completato soltanto il 15,7% delle raccomandazioni del rapporto Draghi.
La politica industriale non dovrebbe indebolire la transizione ecologica: nuovi impianti digitali e centri dati sollevano questioni ambientali e opposizioni locali. Bruxelles deve quindi conciliare crescita, autonomia tecnologica e decarbonizzazione.
Per il 2027 servono risultati concreti: meno adempimenti e più credito per le start-up, digitalizzazione utile, sicurezza comune e decisioni sostenibili. Giovani e minoranze dovranno essere maggiormente coinvolti nella definizione delle politiche future.
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As the final quarter of 2026 begins, Europe has much to take stock of before it turns to 2027.
It has been a year of uncertainty and change. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is progressing at, some may say, an alarming rate, a gas shortage in the bloc is warning Europeans to brace for a cold winter and elections in some of the biggest European countries keep us on our toes about the future of the Union.
The question is, shall we expect this uncertainty to end or instead accept the fact that this is the new normal? Perhaps, the latter would be wiser for survival.
Young people in Europe are faced with novel, constantly evolving challenges. Having ‘lost’ some of their crucial years to the COVID pandemic, they must now deal with the decreasing value of a university degree, a ‘jobpocalypse’ as entry-level jobs vanish (Financial Times, 2025) and skyrocketing housing prices. Older relatives who insist they “had it much worse” are greeted with sighs and raised eyebrows from Generation Z.
Of course, it is not only young people who are worried about the future. This is a cross-generational issue. But optimism was highlighted in the State of the Union (SOTEU) speech by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, “in the cold fragility of today’s world, only Europe can provide true sovereignty to Europeans”. And this has become more important than ever.
These past years, we have seen China and the United States become global leaders in tech, innovation and manufacturing. According to the New York Times, for every six containers China sends to Europe, Europe sends a singular one. This trade deficit highlights China’s successful self-reliance and Europe’s struggle to keep up. In response, proposals such as the EU Inc. (also known as the 28th Regime) and the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) have been triggered, as a means to boost European products.
The Draghi and Letta reports put on paper the urgency for simplification and regulatory deep cleaning, with a clear diagnosis and a credible way forward. However, according to the Draghi Implementation Index, as of July 2026, only 60 of the report’s 383 recommendations (15.7%) had been fully implemented (Draghi watch, 2026). If Europe wants to remain a credible normative power, it must walk the talk and truly start delivering on its plans. On Friday 9th October, an agreement between the two was reached, to protect European car manufacturers from low-price Chinese competition (Politico, 2026). This is what is needed in other sectors too.
But Europe should remain cautious in how it delivers on its competitiveness ambitions
In Austria, around 400 people protested in front of the regional government headquarters in Linz against Google’s plans for a data centre as large as 70 football pitches (Euronews, 2026), showing that the “Not In My Backyard” opposition is slowly shifting from renewable energy infrastructure to a novel challenge. As the Green Deal has given way to a greater focus on the Clean Industrial Deal, decarbonisation efforts should not be watered down, especially as increasingly hot summers bring more forest fires and heat-related deaths. Europe faces the tough challenge of keeping up with the heavyweights while thinking long-term and acting for the common good.
As a means of protecting itself against the big players, the Union is signing more agreements. This shows the bloc’s desire to strike a balance: becoming more strategically independent while also pursuing broader partnerships. Starting the year with the EU-Mercosur agreement signed in January, further bilateral relationships, not all yet signed, have emerged since, including with India, Australia and Mexico. The SOTEU speech also left many questioning what Canada’s associate membership means in concrete terms. Some might argue this is a form of selective partnership, with Europe cherry-picking the countries it wants to deal with. But perhaps this is exactly what is needed to send the right message : deepening ties where interests and values align.
This logic extends beyond trade and growth to security and defence
As concerns grow over Russian attacks on NATO countries and its interference in European elections, Europe must prepare a coordinated response and stand firm in its position that an attack will carry real consequences. It must also strengthen its defence and foreign policy collectively, with responses tailored to hybrid warfare. The bloc should get inspired from its trade policy: send a strong signal on what are European values to counter Russian fear-creation. This is especially important considering the impact of the war on food security, with grain imports disrupted, therefore amplifying the vulnerability of the poorest countries, as highlighted by Pope Leo XIV.
For Europe, the upcoming year should bring tangible, positive impact. Start-ups should see concrete reductions in administrative burdens and easier access to finance, while digitalisation should be used where it genuinely simplifies procedures. Trade should support diversification whilst protecting strategic autonomy. European values should continue to be defended on the global stage. But ultimately, decision-making should be sustainable for future generations and flexible enough to respond to unexpected challenges. This requires input from all generations, to ensure a holistic response, but with a focus on minority groups and youth, who are often excluded from decision-making despite their experiences which allow for a better grasp of timely and appropriate responses. The time to act is now.
Areas of Expertise:
economia, finanza, arte, cultura classica
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