All posts tagged: Strategic autonomy

Health, ​r​​​esilience and ​prosperity: Why ​immunization ​matters

Health, ​r​​​esilience and ​prosperity: Why ​immunization ​matters

Published by Sam Flores

I’ve spent years working on vaccination policy in Europe, and if there’s one thing we still underestimate, it’s this: the value of immuni​​z​​​​ation does not begin and end with preventing acute infections in childhood. That is yesterday’s framing. ​​In today’s Europe, immuni​​​z​​​​​​​ation must be recogni​​​z​​​​​​​ed not as a narrow public health tool, but as a strategic pillar of resilience.​ Sibilia Quilici,  executive director, Vaccines Europe – via Vaccines Europe Europe faces overlapping pressures: ag​​ing populations, chronic diseases, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), climate-sensitive health threats, workforce shortages​​ and constrained public finances. In this context, immuni​​z​​​​ation is not just about preventing illness, it’s about protecting resilience across health systems, economies​​ and societies. ​ ​​The first policy shift is therefore conceptual but essential: immuni​​​z​​​​​​​ation must be recogni​​​z​​​​​​​ed and governed as a strategic investment in resilience.​​​​ ​At the centre of this is​​​ the recognition​​​ that ​​infection is a cascade​​. Infections weaken the immune system and increase vulnerability to further disease. Viral infections are often followed by bacterial ones, leading to antibiotic use and misuse, and contributing to AMR. Some infections …

More Europeans see US as threat than China – POLITICO

More Europeans see US as threat than China – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Country-level differences were pronounced. In Germany (40 percent), France (44 percent) and Spain (43 percent), respondents said defense spending should increase. In Italy, 39 percent said spending was too high — the highest level among the countries polled. Poland stood apart, with a majority (56 percent) saying current spending levels are about right. Those views broadly track current spending levels. Poland plans to spend 4.8 percent of GDP on defense this year, the highest in NATO and far more than the other countries polled. Ukraine support fractures The data highlighted divisions over Europe’s support for Ukraine. Across the six countries, 34 percent said Europe is not providing enough support to Ukraine, 31 percent said the current level is about right, and 30 percent said Europe is doing too much. National differences again stood out. In Germany, by far the largest European aid-giver to Ukraine, 45 percent said Europe is not doing enough. In Italy, which gives the lowest share of its GDP to Ukraine in civilian and military aid of the six countries polled, according …

​​What the EU Biotech Act delivers for Europe – POLITICO

​​What the EU Biotech Act delivers for Europe – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Biotechnology is central to modern medicine and Europe’s long-term competitiveness. From cancer and cardiovascular disease to rare conditions, it is driving transformative advances for patients across Europe and beyond​.​1​     ​  Yet innovation in Europe is increasingly shaped by regulatory fragmentation, procedural complexity and uneven implementation across ​m​ember s​tates. As scientific progress accelerates, policy frameworks must evolve in parallel, supporting the full lifecycle of innovation from research and clinical development to manufacturing and patient access.  The proposed EU Biotech Act seeks to address these challenges. By streamlining regulatory procedures, strengthening coordination​ and supporting scale-up and manufacturing, it aims to reinforce Europe’s position in a highly competitive global biotechnology landscape​.2​ Its success, however, will depend less on ambition than on delivery. Consistent implementation, proportionate oversight and continued global openness will determine whether the ​a​ct translates into faster patient access, sustained investment and long-term resilience.  Q: Why is biotechnology increasingly seen as a strategic pillar for Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and long-term growth?  Gilles Marrache, SVP and regional general manager, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Africa and Canada, Amgen: ​​Biotechnology sits at the intersection of health, industrial policy and economic competitiveness. The sector is one of Europe’s strongest strategic assets …

Spanish deputy leader slams Merz for his deference to Trump – POLITICO

Spanish deputy leader slams Merz for his deference to Trump – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Merz has been under fire since clamming up during a March 3 press conference at the White House during which Trump threatened to impose an embargo on Madrid for refusing to allow U.S. military planes to use Spanish air bases to attack Iran, and slammed Spain for its refusal to commit 5 percent of its GDP to military spending. After the meeting, the chancellor claimed he hadn’t spoken up to defend a fellow EU member because he hadn’t wanted to risk “aggravating” the situation by rebuking Trump in public. He added he’d later told the president behind closed doors that economic sanctions can’t be imposed on a single EU country. But that spin has done little to soothe tempers in Madrid. In the hours following the Washington meeting, Spanish Foreign Minister José Luis Albares blasted Merz for failing to stand up for a fellow EU member, and said he couldn’t imagine former German chancellors Angela Merkel or Olaf Scholz remaining silent in a similar situation. The chancellor was also pilloried in Spain’s national press, with pundits …

Berlin urges Paris to boost defense spending by cutting other costs – POLITICO

Berlin urges Paris to boost defense spending by cutting other costs – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“[Macron] repeatedly and correctly speaks of our pursuit of European sovereignty,” Wadephul told German public radio in an interview on Monday. “Anyone who talks about this must act accordingly in their own country. Unfortunately, efforts in the French Republic have so far been insufficient to achieve this.” Wadephul called on Paris to abandon calls for eurobonds, or a joint EU borrowing scheme, in order to finance defense spending. Instead, the French government needs to find cuts in other areas to create fiscal room, the German foreign minister argued. “We therefore call on France to do what we are doing here, with difficult discussions, to create investment capacity, including in the social sector, to take one or two austerity measures, to make savings in other areas too, in order to have the breathing space needed to achieve the vitally important goal of European defense capability,” Wadephul said. Wadephul said the same lesson applies to all European countries and urged them to implement NATO’s defense spending target of 5 percent of gross domestic product by 2035, as agreed …

Kommt die europäische Atombombe? – POLITICO

Kommt die europäische Atombombe? – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Nach der Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz geht die zentrale Debatte in Berlin weiter: Wie souverän muss Europa werden, wenn das Vertrauen in die USA brüchiger wird. US-Außenminister Marco Rubio wählt versöhnliche Worte, doch die strategischen Zweifel bleiben. Eine Analyse von Gordon Repinski. Im 200-Sekunde-Interview ordnet Unions-Fraktionschef Jens Spahn die Konsequenzen aus München ein. Er plädiert für eine stärkere europäische Säule innerhalb des transatlantischen Bündnisses und dafür, auch über nukleare Teilhabe offen zu sprechen. Parallel wird in Brüssel über wirtschaftliche Souveränität verhandelt. Finanzminister Lars Klingbeil wirbt für Fortschritte bei der Kapitalmarktunion. Ziel ist es, Europas Start-ups besseren Zugang zu Kapital zu verschaffen..Rasmus Buchsteiner berichtet, wie Klingbeil internationale Foren auch nutzt, um wirtschaftspolitisches Profil zu gewinnen. Die Ausgabe der Talkshow von Caren Miosga mit Gordon seht ihr hier und unseren neuen POLITICO-Podcast „Power & Policy” gibt es hier zu hören! Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es jeden Morgen ab 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team liefern Politik zum Hören – kompakt, international, hintergründig.Für alle Hauptstadt-Profis: Der Berlin Playbook-Newsletter bietet jeden Morgen die wichtigsten Themen und Einordnungen. Jetzt …

The battle of Alden Biesen – POLITICO

The battle of Alden Biesen – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

EU leaders gather at Alden Biesen castle to debate how to revive Europe’s economy — and whether “strategic autonomy” can survive internal divisions. POLITICO’s Chief EU Correspondent Zoya Sheftalovich is joined by policy editor Sarah Wheaton to unpack the competitiveness retreat. Plus: The Hungary funds case nears a turning point in Luxembourg, as the Court of Justice of the European Union issues a key opinion in the Parliament’s lawsuit against the Commission — with political stakes ahead of Hungary’s April parliamentary election. And finally: Why are EU leaders so fond of castles? Zoya and Sarah also share listeners’ karaoke picks sent to our WhatsApp number:+32 491 05 06 29 With Valentine’s Day approaching, send us a shoutout to your loved one — or maybe a missed connection. That person you exchanged a glance with in the Berlaymont lift.The policy wonk you queued behind for coffee at Schuman.The brunette who walked into the Commission building before you could say hello. Send us a voice note — we might help Brussels’ most bureaucratic love stories find a …

Europe’s push to go it alone exposes old fault lines – POLITICO

Europe’s push to go it alone exposes old fault lines – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

While the meeting is not expected to produce binding commitments, it will set a broad political direction for the European Commission, which is due to draw up proposals ahead of a formal summit in late March. “Everyone around the table must … face a moment of truth,” said Manfred Weber, leader of the European People’s Party, whose members include German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Leaders should “not complain about each other” but do their “homework” to ensure reforms can be completed, he added. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told POLITICO ahead of the summit that “Europe has lots of leverage. We just need to stick together and make decisions … instead of whining and complaining, we need to understand that through strength Europe will actually have [a firm] position.” A glaring example is the recent disagreement between EU powerhouses France and Germany, whose leaders clashed over Emmanuel Macron’s refusal to endorse the EU-Mercosur trade deal. In an interview published Tuesday by several European newspapers, the French president trumpeted the need …

Europe begins its slow retreat from US dependence – POLITICO

Europe begins its slow retreat from US dependence – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

From orders banning civil servants from using U.S.-based videoconferencing tools to trade deals with countries like India to a push to diversify Europe’s energy suppliers, efforts to minimize European dependence on the U.S. are gathering pace. EU leaders warn that transatlantic relations are unlikely to return to the pre-Trump status quo. EU officials stress that such measures amount to “de-risking” Europe’s relationship with the U.S., rather than “decoupling” — a term that implies a clean break in economic and strategic ties. Until recently, both expressions were mainly applied to European efforts to reduce dependence on China. Now, they are coming up in relation to the U.S., Europe’s main trade partner and security benefactor. The decoupling drive is in its infancy. The U.S. remains by far the largest trading partner for Europe, and it will take years for the bloc to wean itself off American tech and military support, according to Jean-Luc Demarty, who was in charge of the European Commission’s trade department under the body’s former president, Jean-Claude Juncker. Donald Trump’s threats to take over …

Incoming Dutch coalition floats European version of ‘Five Eyes’ – POLITICO

Incoming Dutch coalition floats European version of ‘Five Eyes’ – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

At the European level, The Hague says it wants to intensify cooperation with a core group of like-minded countries, explicitly floating a continent-wide version of the “Five Eyes” intelligence partnership (which is made up of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K., and the U.S.). In October, the heads of the two Dutch agencies announced they would stop sharing certain information with their U.S. counterparts, citing political interference and human rights concerns. Instead they would look at increasing cooperation with other European services, like the U.K., Poland, France, Germany and the Nordic countries. Domestically, the government plans to fast-track a revamped Intelligence and Security Services Act, rewriting the law to focus on threats rather than specific investigative tools and making it “technology-neutral” so agencies are not outpaced by innovation. Supervisory bodies would be merged to provide streamlined, but legally robust, oversight. The agenda also calls for expanding the operational research capacity of Dutch intelligence services to help build Europe’s “strategic autonomy,” while deepening ties with tech firms and recruiting top technical talent. Source link