EU must ‘tear down barriers’ to become ‘global giant’: von der Leyen

Raziye AKKOC

Wed, February 11, 2026 at 5:54 PM GMT+9 3 min read

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Europe needed to act faster to become more competitive (MARKO PERKOV) · MARKO PERKOV/AFP/AFP

The EU must “tear down the barriers” that prevent it from becoming a truly global economic giant, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday, ahead of leaders’ talks on making the 27-nation bloc more competitive.

“Our companies need capital right now. So let’s get it done this year,” the commission president told EU lawmakers as she outlined key steps to bridge the gap with China and the United States.

“We have to make progress one way or another to tear down the barriers that prevent us from being a true global giant,” she said, calling the current system “fragmentation on steroids.”

Reviving the stagnant EU economy has become more urgent amid geopolitical shocks, from US President Donald Trump’s threats and tariffs disrupting global trade to his efforts to seize Greenland from Denmark.

Von der Leyen delivered her message before heading with EU leaders including France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Friedrich Merz to a gathering of industry executives in Antwerp, held on the eve of a summit to strengthen the bloc’s economy.

A key issue identified by the EU is the fact that European companies face difficulties accessing capital to scale up, unlike their American counterparts.

To address this, Plan A would be to move forward together as 27 states, von der Leyen said, but if they cannot reach agreement, the EU should consider “enhanced cooperation” among those countries willing to do so.

• ‘Buy European’ push -

Von der Leyen said Europe should boost its competitiveness by “ramping up production” on the continent and “expanding our network of reliable partners,” emphasizing the importance of signing trade agreements.

After recent deals with the South American bloc Mercosur and India, she said more are in progress — with Australia, Thailand, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates.

One of the biggest — and most debated — proposals for boosting the EU’s economy is to favor European firms over foreign competitors in “strategic” sectors, which von der Leyen supports.

“In strategic sectors, European preference is a necessary instrument… that will contribute to strengthening Europe’s own production base,” she said — while cautioning against a “one-size-fits-all” approach.

France has been leading this effort, but some EU nations like Sweden are wary of veering into protectionism and warn Brussels against going too far.

The EU executive will also propose next month the 28th regime, also known as “EU Inc,” a voluntary set of rules for businesses that would apply across the European Union and would not be linked to any specific country.

Brussels argues this would make it easier for companies to operate across the EU, since the fragmented market is often blamed for the economy’s underperformance.

The commission is also undertaking a major effort to reduce red tape for companies, which complain that EU rules make doing business harder — critics accuse Brussels of watering down key climate legislation in particular.

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