The world, is now rapidly changing into one of great power competition, armed conflict, and almost constant crisis. They created an in my view unparalleled foundation for economic strength.īut this idea was of course founded on the premise of an open and rules-based world. The original idea of the six founding members of the common market was to use economic interdependence to protect Europe from future wars. In a way, you could say that our most successful European story – the common market – started here in Bruges. Goods from all over our continent changed hands on these cobblestoned squares.

Not only does this College prepare its students for future careers in the EU – the city of Bruges is itself a hub of European history.įor centuries, this is where Baltic merchants traded with their Mediterranean counterparts, and where Italian banking houses provided loans to German princes. Thank you very much Rector Mogherini ‒ dear Federica ‒ for your very warm welcome and kind words and of course for your invitation to speak here at the College of Europe.įrankly speaking, I can’t imagine a better place to discuss the future of our continent.

Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, dear students,

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