1º settembre 2025
Bled Strategic Forum: we chose restraint because we are responsible
Some ideas from my Bled Speech.
I am aware of the frustration felt by many Europeans who perceive the Union as having been too passive in shaping this summer’s developments on trade, relations with the US and Ukraine.
We certainly do not celebrate the return of tariffs. But escalating tensions with a key ally over tariffs, while our Eastern border is under threat, would have been an imprudent risk.
We chose restraint because we are responsible. We refrained from retaliation to protect the interests of our citizens and companies.
But our partners—including the U.S.—must know that the EU will always defend its sovereignty, its citizens, its companies, and its values. Diplomacy should never be mistaken for complacency.
We must become more autonomous, more resilient, and more prepared to act. #BSF2025