EPICENTER

Our Director, Adam Bartha, the EU lacks geopolitical strength due to economic stagnation and weak military deterrence. To influence Ukraine’s future, it must prioritise economic growth, defence spending, and stronger institutional structures, possibly through a coalition of willing nations.

On CEPOS' 'Bag Om Nyhederne' podcast, our paper 'Reviving Europe's Competitive Edge' featured in a discussion on whether the EU's recent competitiveness compass can successfully increase productivity.

Line Andersen, Economist at CEPOS, recently commented in 'Børsen' on the growing consensus that the productivity problem is the cause of the economic slowdown in the EU. However, the proposed solutions are sometimes questionable.

IME's Petar Ganev recently appeared on Bloomberg TV in a studio interview to discuss findings from EPICENTER's recent paper 'Reviving Europe's Competitive Edge'. In it, Petar argued how Central and Eastern Europe shows how the EU can compete with China and the US.

In a Forbes article, Petar Ganev from Institute for Market Economics, our Bulgarian member think tank, wrote on the EU's stagnation, while Central and Eastern Europe thrive. Brussels now prioritises competitiveness, but reforms must move beyond rhetoric to meaningful deregulation, tax reduction, and market liberalisation.

In The Critic, an article by the IEA's Harrison Griffiths used our competitiveness paper to argue that Western Europe’s stagnation stems from complacency, risk-aversion, and interest group appeasement. Recent EU and UK reforms suggest a potential shift toward growth-focused policies, but lasting change remains uncertain.