New era dawning for European leaders
image: USG via Unsplash
An op-ed in Dutch newspaper ‘NRC’ by Luuk van Middelaar, historian, political philosopher and Professor of Foundations and Practice of the European Union and its Institutions, sets out his observations on the role of European leaders in the geopolitical context. He considers the past, present and how the vision for the future should be shaped.
Van Middelaar argues that to shape the future of Europe, European leaders should not just anticipate what is coming, such as elections or the next few years. They need to look beyond the short term. Plans and policies need to be developed with a broader horizon in mind and these will have to be introduced over decades.
The crux of his message is that leaders must consider historical and contemporary perspectives and link national interests to broader European objectives. Only by having a long-term vision can they effectively respond to the major issues Europe is facing.
‘Look ahead to 2050’, says Van Middelaar.
More information?
Read the full article in NRC(€) (in Dutch)