The values of solidarity and mutual responsibility, fundamental pillars of European integration and external action, are presently at stake. Approaches that further consolidate the EU are necessary, as otherwise the whole project may be at serious risk. Any outcome of these EU-wide debates will also have an impact beyond Europe. The EU should play an important role in leading efforts to build more effective and inclusive international development platforms.
This is the case not only because of the EU’s economic weight and position as major aid donor in the world. But also because any weakening of the EU project will directly undermine Europe’s role in any effort to foster a new multilateral agenda for international development. Clearly, fragmented responses by individual member states will hardly do the trick.
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