A Roadmap for Renewed European Leadership

In recent years, Europe’s centre-right has demonstrated a vital quality in times of crisis: resilience. Amid pandemic turbulence, war on our borders, and democratic strain across the continent, it has provided stability where volatility threatened to prevail. But as the shocks of the past decade begin to settle into a new normal of uncertainty, we must ask a deeper question: Can resilience be enough?

The answer, I believe, lies in a single word—trust.

This week’s EPP Congress in Valencia offers an important moment of reflection. As centre-right leaders gather to discuss Europe’s strategic direction, the stakes go well beyond policy: they extend to the renewal of democratic trust, the relevance of political moderation, and the responsibility to offer citizens not only competence—but purpose.

Political trust is not simply a by-product of electoral cycles. It is the oxygen of democratic legitimacy and long-term cohesion. Without it, even the most technocratic systems become brittle. The centre-right has long been a steward of responsibility, moderation, and institutional continuity. But the post-crisis world demands more than governance—it demands reconnection.

Across Europe, voters are not turning their backs on the centre-right out of hostility. Many are retreating out of fatigue, disillusionment, or a quiet sense of distance. They crave meaning, proximity, and dignity in how politics speaks to them. They want competence, yes—but they also want conviction.

This is the moment for the centre-right to move from a posture of defensive governance to one of constructive renewal. That means being bold without being reckless. Principled without being rigid. Open to reform without surrendering values.

We must speak to the middle classes who feel economically exposed, to the youth who are torn between ambition and anxiety, and to communities who feel that politics has become either too abstract or too adversarial. The challenge is not only to defend Europe’s democratic centre—but to reimagine it.

Leaders like European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola have exemplified how centre-right values can translate into European leadership that is principled, visible, and grounded in democratic legitimacy. Their example underscores that the political centre, when confident, can lead from conviction—not compromise.

Centre-right parties are uniquely positioned to lead this transition. From Nea Dimokratia in Greece to the CDU in Germany and the Partido Popular in Spain, they combine deep democratic roots with the ability to govern effectively. But they must now articulate a new political language—one that does not fear complexity, but clarifies direction. One that is not content with administrative stewardship, but aspires to societal leadership.

At the national level, figures such as Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Greece, Luís Montenegro in Portugal, and Petteri Orpo in Finland have shown that centre-right governments can combine economic realism with progressive reformism. In Germany, Friedrich Merz is shaping a new conservative narrative that responds to both modernisation and identity. These leaders offer diverse yet coherent paths forward, rooted in responsibility while not being afraid of renewal.

What does this mean in practice?

It means shaping a narrative that blends economic realism with social empathy. It means policies that champion upward mobility without undermining cohesion. It means restoring trust not only in the capacity of governments to manage—but in their ability to care.

Europe is at a crossroads. Strategic uncertainty is matched by societal unease. In this environment, moderation should not be confused with passivity. The centre-right must lead—not in spite of being moderate, but because it is moderate. Because it can be ambitious without being dogmatic. Because it can build bridges while holding on to its beliefs and values.

The European People’s Party has the legacy, the talent, and the institutional position to be at the forefront of this renewal. But no legacy can speak for itself forever. It must be constantly reinterpreted, revitalised, and re-earned.

This is not a call for radical reinvention. It is a call for thoughtful reengagement—with citizens, with purpose, and with the idea that politics, at its best, is a noble craft of trust-building.

The leadership of the European People’s Party, under President Manfred Weber, has made significant efforts to anchor the centre-right in both responsibility and renewal. This ongoing commitment creates fertile ground for a new generation of ideas—and for a reinvigorated relationship with citizens.

We have been resilient. Now we must be relevant.