75 Years On:
Can Robert Schuman’s Vision Still Inspire Europe’s Economy?

07/16/2025

Seventy-five years ago, Robert Schuman laid the foundations of what would become the European Union. His vision of a united Europe built upon economic cooperation as a means of securing lasting peace has since evolved into one of the world’s most ambitious political and economic projects.

Born from the ashes of war, Schuman’s idea was striking in its simplicity and ambition: secure lasting peace through economic interdependence, placing shared industries under supranational control to make war not only unthinkable, but materially impossible. Today, as Europe marks this milestone, it faces profound questions about its future direction and how it can adapt to an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.

A Union Under Pressure: Reassessing Schuman’s Legacy

Europe is grappling with major economic and strategic challenges: trade tensions with the United States, urgent demands for increased defence spending, and the economic consequences of ecological transformation. These pressures prompt a timely reflection on whether Schuman’s principles of unity, solidarity, and deepening cooperation still offer a viable path forward.

At a recent high-level conference commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, jointly organised by the Brussels Office of the Hanns Seidel Foundation, the Association Parlementaire Européenne (APE), and the SME Union of the EPP, Members of the European Parliament, policy experts, and representatives from institutions and civil society gathered at APE’s elegant villa in Strasbourg to explore the enduring relevance of Schuman’s vision.

Speakers included Herbert Dorfmann, MEP, Member of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the Subcommittee on Tax Matters, Vice-Chair of the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly and President of the Association Parlementaire Européenne; Jean-Dominique Giuliani, business leader and President of the Robert Schuman Foundation; Markus Ferber, MEP, Coordinator of the EPP Group in the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, Chairman of the Hanns Seidel Foundation and Vice-President of APE; Fabienne Keller, MEP, Member of the Parliament’s Bureau and Quaestors, serving on the Committees on Budgets and on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and Vice-President of APE and Iuliu Winkler, MEP, Vice-Chair of the Committee on International Trade and First Vice-President of SME Europe. The discussion was moderated by Matteo Angeli, Managing Director of the Association Parlementaire Européenne.

Their response was unequivocal: Schuman’s vision is not outdated—it is more relevant than ever. But it must be boldly renewed and institutionally reinforced to meet today’s realities.

Schuman’s Method: Cooperation Through Institutions

Herbert Dorfmann, MEP, opened the conference by reminding participants that multilateralism is under strain, not just in trade and security, but within the global institutional framework itself. Schuman’s method of fostering cooperation through shared institutions and concrete initiatives, he argued, is crucial in today’s fragmented world.

Jean-Dominique Giuliani, President of the Robert Schuman Foundation, focused on the enduring relevance of Schuman’s “solidarity of facts”, a model of integration based on real, functional cooperation. It was never a utopian ideal, but a practical method rooted in mutual benefit and common purpose. However, Giuliani warned that Schuman’s method is not self-executing. It requires continuous political will and a shared commitment to institutional development. In an era where global governance is under strain and multilateralism increasingly questioned, the EU must recommit to this legacy not just in principle, but in policy.

Economic Collaboration Over Protectionism

Addressing the economic dimension, Iuliu Winkler, MEP cautioned against rising protectionism, particularly in light of US trade policies under Donald Trump. For the EU to remain resilient in the face of global shocks, it must complete its internal market and establish itself as a dependable, rules-based economic power.

Fabienne Keller, MEP highlighted the EU’s measured response to American tariffs, strategically restrained, yet firm in defending European interests. She echoed this sentiment, highlighting the importance of strategic calm in the face of external shocks, while also advocating for robust protections for workers, fair competition, and long-term investment in European industries. Resilience, she argued, is not merely about shielding markets, it is about empowering people.

Trade and Agriculture also had a place in the discussion: Winkler defended the controversial EU–Mercosur agreement with concrete figures that clearly demonstrated the benefits for European farmers and advocated for an open yet self-determined trade policy, based on clear standards and protective mechanisms.

A New Dimension of Integration: Defence

Markus Ferber, MEP underscored the enduring relevance of Schuman’s legacy, particularly its institutional logic. After World War II, including Germany as an equal partner became a model of equitable cooperation, one that still guides EU integration today.

In light of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Ferber called for a new security paradigm in Europe. Drawing parallels with the European Coal and Steel Community, he proposed a shared European approach to defence: joint research, procurement, and industrial coordination to ensure efficiency, technological sovereignty, and strategic autonomy.

Ferber urged the inclusion of neutral member states like Austria in defence-related funding, and proposed that EU nations contribute a portion of their defence budgets into a common European fund. “If we want peace, we must be able to defend ourselves, and we can only do that together,” he said.

Financing Europe’s Ambitions

With a budget currently representing barely 1% of the EU’s GDP, there is a stark mismatch between the EU’s ambitions, on climate, competitiveness, defence and cohesion, and the resources at its disposal.

Markus Ferber and other speakers called for new own resources, such as EU-wide levies, to reduce reliance on national contributions and ensure long-term financial sustainability. Common borrowing was also discussed, though with a clear emphasis on strategic, future-oriented investment. Participants highlighted critical shortfalls in Europe’s infrastructure, such as military transport and cross-border rail, as potential vulnerabilities in any future conflict scenario.

Social Cohesion and a Shared European Identity

Beyond the economic and security dimensions, the conference also explored the cultural and social pillars of European unity.

Fabienne Keller invoked Schuman’s broader aim: not just to integrate markets, but to bring people together. She stressed the importance of programmes that promote education, culture, and civic engagement to foster trust and cohesion. From Erasmus exchanges to infrastructure projects like the symbolic Gustave Eiffel station in Budapest, participants noted how collective memory and cultural investment are vital components of European integration.

Conclusion: Schuman’s Vision – Unfinished but Guiding

The conference delivered a clear message: Schuman’s vision is not a relic of the past, it remains a strategic blueprint for the future. Its core logic of economic interdependence, shared sovereignty, and strong institutions, continues to offer Europe its best defence against fragmentation, populism, and global rivalry.

To remain sovereign, resilient and effective, the EU must reinforce its institutional framework and align its financial capabilities with its political ambitions. It must be open without being naïve, bold yet responsible, sovereign yet united in solidarity.

Schuman didn’t offer a finished solution, he proposed a method. Today, it is up to the European Union to carry that method forward and shape it for the 21st century.