Grip or Grapple: Towards a Europe that Protects Without Protectionism
29 October 2026
Europe is facing a more uncertain and competitive world, from growing geopolitical tensions and economic coercion to questions over its own security and prosperity. In Grip or Grapple: Towards a Europe that Protects Without Protectionism, Wouter Beke argues that the European Union must move beyond its traditional role as a peace and prosperity project to become a stronger guarantor of protection for its citizens.
The paper sets out a path towards greater European defence cooperation, a more competitive social market economy, a renewed sense of European identity and more decisive EU governance. It also calls for a coalition of like-minded democracies to defend shared interests and resist economic coercion. The central challenge is to strengthen Europe’s capacity to shape its own destiny without retreating into protectionism or abandoning the principles that underpin its prosperity.
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