“Informal Talk about Future European Economic Priorities “- A Meet & Greet on what’s to be and what’s to come

By Sofie Schoepf

SME Europe of the EPP, together with the German Economic Council, welcomed a great number of participants in the European Parliament. On the 25th of September, politics and business joined forces, to envision economic needs, potentials and priorities, all in the light of the European Union of tomorrow.

Ivan Stefanec MEP and President of SME Europe, took the stage with a short opening over EUs possibilities and its way to the top: A digital single market, a monetary union, strong trade bonds and an appropriate industrial policy – under way or already realized, these factors are crucial when setting economic priorities to last.

The German Economic council was greatly represented by their Chair Burkhard Ober, together with their Vice – Chair Vera Brenzel. Thinking “across the board” and “out of the box”, is not only a necessity but the only option to make a union, formed on a supranational level, work, as Burkhard Ober put it correctly. Leaving the EU is not and cannot be an option, while joining together is key and on top of the list.

Axel Voss MEP lead over with setting awareness for the topic of actual European interest. “How do we want to proceed?”, a proposition that could not yet be answered, but was clearly further discussed during the course of happenings. With Impulse Statements by Dennis Radtke MEP and Jörgen Warborn MEP, the topics of democracy and European Competitiveness where tackled to highlight economic priorities on diverse perspectives.

Concluding, the question about economic goals in not an easy one to solve. There is not one answer to be given, but multiple ways to challenge preconceptions of the past. Yet, the Meet & Greet -Informal Talk about Future European Economic Priorities “ left participants with a feeling of upheaval and the awareness that change must be and is already underway,  as the German Economic Council, as well as SME Europe will further do their part in a time of new beginnings.