Mr Bütikofer, you are leaving the European Parliament after 15 years. How have the EU and the geopolitical environment changed during this time?
Bütikofer: Today, the EU is facing a challenge that hardly anyone would have expected 15 years ago. We believed that the multilateral, western democratic system was firmly established. Instead, there have been fundamental shifts that have also affected the openness of markets. That is why Europe needs to start a new era – and I would say that we are already in the thick of it. This applies to both industrial and foreign policy. Everything is currently being reorganised.
How can Europe exert any influence at all if its global significance – for example economically – continues to decline?
Bütikofer: Regarding foreign relations, we should adopt something like a guiding principle that has proven its worth within the community, and that is strength through cooperation. We need to cooperate even more closely with countries such as Japan, Australia, Mexico and Canada, which are close to us on many fundamental issues. Unfortunately, however, there is the ominous idea of “strategic autonomy” in Europe – as if it were desirable for the EU to act particularly zealous and often as if it were an autonomous entity. I think that is wrong, because we need “strategic cooperation”. With our sometimes arrogant attitude towards potential partners, we have given China and Russia far too much space. We must make a better offer than these authoritarian powers!
Dr Kegel, what do you see as the biggest challenges for the EU?
Kegel: I have been working in the economy for around 35 years now. During this time, globalisation has been a prerequisite for economic success. But it has also been a good thing from a humanitarian point of view. As a result, it has lifted more people out of abject poverty than ever before. Unfortunately, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we have been on the path to a power-based political approach. That is highly dangerous. After all, an export nation like Germany, but also Europe as a whole, needs peaceful coexistence, partnerships on an equal footing and rule-based structures. The EU urgently needs to work on this.