Roberta Metsola: ‘If Europe wants to lead, we need to take risks’

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has called on the European Union to adopt a more decisive and risk-tolerant approach if it is to maintain its global leadership, warning that incremental progress will not be enough in today’s geopolitical and economic climate.

Addressing the European Council on Thursday (yesterday), she stressed that Europe must be “ready – and able – to take risks” in order to deliver results and strengthen its position as a competitive economic force.

Another theme of the address was the need to reduce fragmentation within the Single Market and simplify regulatory frameworks across the bloc.

Dr Metsola highlighted upcoming legislative work, including the European Parliament’s position on simplifying artificial intelligence rules, as well as broader simplification packages covering chemicals and mid-sized companies.

She emphasised that simplification must go hand in hand with measurable outcomes, noting that the anticipated ‘One Europe, One Market’ roadmap should include clear timelines and targets rather than remain a purely declarative initiative.

The President also pointed to the European Commission’s newly unveiled ‘EU Inc.’ proposal as a significant development in addressing market fragmentation and facilitating cross-border business activity.

Describing the initiative as something the Parliament has long advocated for, Dr Metsola said there is “real excitement” around the proposal and called for momentum to be maintained through active promotion and implementation.

In her remarks, Dr Metsola underlined the importance of strengthening Europe’s investment ecosystem, particularly through the advancement of the Savings and Investments Union.

She called for a reassessment of regulatory requirements that may be limiting investment flows, urging policymakers to adopt a more pragmatic and forward-looking approach.

Additionally, she proposed exploring new mechanisms to support disruptive innovation, including a European model similar to Germany’s SPRIND, aimed at funding transformative technologies.

Energy was identified as the most pressing issue from both a competitiveness and geopolitical perspective.

Dr Metsola warned that recent global instability continues to expose Europe to price shocks, noting that the EU has already incurred an additional €6 billion in fossil fuel import costs since the onset of recent conflicts.

While diversification efforts are beginning to show results, she stressed the need for continued investment in energy infrastructure, storage capacity, and reduced reliance on external suppliers.

Concluding her address, Dr Metsola framed competitiveness as closely linked to security, arguing that Europe must strengthen its economic base to navigate rising geopolitical tensions effectively.