• The President of the eAtlantic Fundazioa Foundation calls to “build flexible frameworks that allow each territory to develop its own strategies in dialogue and coordination with common global objectives”

• He spoke at an informative breakfast event organised by Nueva Economía Fórum in Bilbao, before a large gathering of representatives from Basque political, economic, and social life

Iñigo Urkullu, President of the eAtlantic Fundazioa Foundation, has urged Europe to develop “a new narrative for growth and competitiveness, one that is sustainable, inclusive, and resilient.” He stressed this point on Monday during his address at the Nueva Economía Fórum breakfast briefing in Bilbao, before a broad representation of Basque political, economic, and social life, headed by the Lehendakari (Basque President) Imanol Pradales.

In his first public appearance following the establishment of the Foundation he chairs, Urkullu outlined the general principles behind the creation of this non-profit organisation, born from the firm conviction that “Europe’s future is also at stake in the Atlantic, and with a clear purpose: networked development.” In this regard, he recalled that the launch of the Foundation was guided by the idea that, after three terms as Lehendakari and now from a role anchored in civil society, he could follow a common thread and seek to contribute the experience and lessons learned. These are now projected onto promoting the impetus of civil society around strengthening the European project and, in particular, its Atlantic Façade.

In his speech, he provided a particularly thorough analysis of the current juncture facing Europe. He acknowledged that “Europe finds itself at a difficult crossroads” due to its “internal challenges” and its position “between two major powers with aggressive policies.” It is for this reason he appealed for “in this complex framework, we must deepen and explore our Atlantic opportunity, as a strategic axis for Europe and due to its connection with Latin America and West Africa.”

Urkullu admitted that “internally, Europe faces the challenge of maintaining cohesion while it must reform its institutions to make them more democratic and representative; it must take on the challenge of establishing a consistent defence; it must also uphold the pillars of the welfare state and the social pact, and embark on the advances of the technological revolution while managing its impact.” In this context, he added, “the EU must reset its relationship with China and explore not only new trade partners but also redefine relations with the so-called Global South.”

In Urkullu’s opinion, “Europe suffers from a serious leadership problem. All Member States face grave internal problems. The new extremisms, on the rise, are Eurosceptic when not outright anti-European.” For all these reasons, he stated that “the inherent complexity of the decision-making process within European institutions requires a new institutional framework.”

For the President of the eAtlantic foundation, “the fragmentation of the internal market, the lack of investment in strategic sectors, and institutional weakness in the face of major global challenges are some of the core problems that Draghi diagnoses in his Report and that Letta translates into concrete proposals, specified in greater fiscal coordination, a common industrial policy, and a reform of economic governance rules.”

However, Urkullu argued that “beyond the technical proposals, both reports actually raise a transcendental and existential question for our future as European citizens, and it cannot be answered solely from Brussels or Frankfurt because it requires the active involvement of territories, regions, cities, and, above all, citizens.”