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Every single day we hear from Brussels – and elsewhere – about how important it is to build our European future, about what kind of legacy we fight to leave our children, about innovation, resilience, competitiveness and so on. These are not just catchy phrases, but key issues that must be continually debated by experts, theorists, and decision-makers alike, because without a collective effort toward a crucial goal, solutions will remain out of reach.
The first panel on Saturday, May 30, as part of the European Economic Forum 2026 organized by the ECR Party in Cluj-Napoca – one of Romania’s most important economic and academic hubs – will bring together speakers from five European countries: Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, and Ireland. This panel’s topic will be Europe’s Innovation Economy: Technology, Manufacturing, and the Future of a Competitive Europe.
In recent years, our continent has been losing ground to the United States, China, and India in terms of economic competitiveness. For too long, Europe has been asleep; today, perhaps more than ever, a wake-up call is urgently needed. Excessive bureaucracy, over-regulation, and the rush toward centralization, along with the constant infusion of leftist ideology and the enormous costs of energy that are causing social turmoil, are all direct and concrete threats to our very own future.
In the panel moderated by Gary Kavanagh, Director of Edmund Burke Foundation, officials from the European Parliament and the Italian Parliament, a well-known Italian commentator, a former advisor to the Polish Prime Minister’s office, and representatives of companies in strategic sectors will discuss the innovative economy, sovereignty, and the necessary steps to achieve true competitiveness.
The opening remarks will be delivered by Antonella Sberna, Vice-President of the European Parliament, a staunch advocate of strengthening the role of regions and local communities in the effective use of EU funds. According to the Vice-President of the European Parliament, this is the only way to ensure a distribution of resources that will actually support small and medium-sized enterprises, universities, and local areas. The ECR member of the Bureau of the European Parliament emphasizes the urgent need for investment in research and technology, as well as the great efforts made by young innovators.
Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea, vice-chair of the ECR Group, takes a more critical stance, warning against “green” decarbonization plans, which he argues should be abandoned immediately so that Europe can compete with the global superpowers. Our continent has lost ground in the global technology race and risks becoming “nothing more than a market.” To regain its position and produce its own high-end technology, Europe must abandon the ETS and CBAM, according to the Romanian MEP.
Ylenja Lucaselli, a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, is known for her pragmatic stances, being a strong advocate for investing in competences and reducing taxes for innovative companies. For Lucaselli, digital innovation and reforms that eliminate bureaucracy and truly support entrepreneurship are the solutions for revitalizing the economy.
The combative Italian journalist Fabio Dragoni also emphasizes that industrial realism and economic sovereignty – not the so-called forced green agenda that drives companies into ruin and impoverishes populations – are the right paths for Europe to regain its competitiveness. In Dragoni’s view, our future is strongly linked to less ideological regulation, pragmatism, and affordable energy.
Representatives from two leading companies in two different sectors – Markus Hoffmann, CSO of the WERAP Group, and Veronica Pamio, Senior Vice President of External Affairs at Aeroporti di Roma – will share their perspectives on key topics related to manufacturing, technology, and economic opportunities.
The Polish perspective will be represented by Krzysztof Mech, former advisor to the Prime Minister of Poland and a vocal critic of the regulations imposed by Brussels, which have led to massive energy costs that are increasingly difficult to bear. Diversifying sources is crucial for energy independence and economic growth. You cannot remain competitive without investing in new technologies, Mech argues.
Competitiveness is not a utopian or unfounded aspiration, but rather the guarantee of prosperity and sovereignty for future generations. Its true engine is real cooperation among sovereign states, not the enforcement of a bureaucratic superstate. Europe will not regain its competitiveness unless it abandons its federalist-green fantasies. Without a coherent strategy and realistic solutions, decline is inevitable.