Europe Has Twelve Priorities. Who Will Turn Them into Partnerships?

EuropaNova’s Strasbourg conference sets out an ambitious agenda. Turning it into results will require more than political agreement.

Europe wants stronger democracy, greater technological independence and more influence in world affairs. But governments cannot achieve these ambitions alone. At the Europa Power Conference in Strasbourg, more than 300 participants from politics, business, science and civil society identified twelve priorities. Their proposals raise a practical question: who will turn Europe’s ambitions into lasting cooperation?

Organised by European think tank EuropaNova from 21 to 23 October 2026, the conference concluded at the European Parliament.

The twelve priorities cover four ambitions: democratic participation, economic strength, global influence, and scientific and cultural freedom. They are intended to influence European policy, but are not binding commitments.

Europe has identified what it wants to achieve. The next question is how and with whom.

Five questions explore where interests meet, where tensions arise and what it takes to turn the Strasbourg agenda into working partnerships.

The Parliamentary Polder Faces Its First Real Test

When parliamentary majorities collide with coalition agreements

The Dutch minority government has survived a political confrontation over its tax plans, but the disagreement between D66, CDA and VVD remains unresolved. A parliamentary majority approved legislation opposed by one of the governing parties. The crisis raises a fundamental question: can coalition partners govern together while pursuing different parliamentary majorities?

On 12 November, the House of Representatives approved the 2027 tax package by 76 votes to 74. D66 and CDA had reached an agreement with progressive opposition parties PRO and Volt, shifting part of the tax burden from labour towards higher investment returns.

The VVD opposed the changes, arguing that they crossed political and economic boundaries agreed within the coalition.

The majority settled the vote. It did not settle the disagreement.

Following crisis talks on Friday, Prime Minister Rob Jetten acknowledged that the governing parties needed to improve their cooperation. Discussions will continue over the weekend.

Five questions reveal the tensions behind this new experiment in Dutch democracy.

EU Inc.: Can Europe Become One Market for Entrepreneurs?

Removing the legal barriers to building and growing businesses across Europe.

One market, 27 legal systems

Europe has a single market of around 450 million consumers, yet starting and expanding a business across its borders remains surprisingly complicated. Entrepreneurs must navigate 27 national corporate legal systems and more than 60 different company forms, often involving different procedures, administrative requirements and costs.

This fragmentation has become part of the broader debate about European competitiveness. Reports by Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi have highlighted structural barriers that make it harder for European businesses to expand internationally, attract investment and compete with larger companies elsewhere.

The European Commission now wants to address part of this problem through EU Inc., a proposed common corporate framework introduced on 18 March 2026. On 23 October, the Council of the European Union adopted its negotiating position, moving the initiative further through the legislative process.

The objective is to make establishing, financing and growing a company across Europe considerably easier.