The Future of Europe
Leading Global Governance in a Fragmented World
In an era defined by systemic global challenges, profound geopolitical transformations, and the rapid ascent of the AI revolution, Re-Imagine Europa (RIE) serves as a pivotal strategic convener at the core of the European project. By harmonizing high-level academic rigor with industrial innovation and evidence-based policymaking, we cultivate the synergies necessary to forge a more resilient, sovereign, and competitive Union.
In 2026, the world is not just reacting to crisis; it is realigning. As old assumptions fall away, eyes are turning to Europe—not for a show of power, but for a sense of direction. This is the exact moment President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing anticipated when he founded Re-Imagine Europa. Having watched a post-war generation choose to reinvent institutions rather than simply restore the past, he understood that eras of deep transformation require more than incremental shifts. They demand imagination, strategic clarity, and the courage to rethink the very frameworks that hold us together.
We believe that Europe’s strength lies in its ability to reimagine its social and political contract, ensuring that the continent remains a global beacon of fundamental human and civic values: human dignity, democracy, freedom, equality, human rights and the rule of law. By fostering a culture of strategic thinking in top public and private bodies, RIE is designing the architecture for a Europe that moves beyond reactive governance towards a global leader that actively shapes the future.
For the first time in years, Europe has the chance not just to react, but to rethink: to define a new frame for how Europe understands its challenges, its role, and its direction.
Erika Staël von Holstein, Chief Executive of Re-Imagine Europa
RIE champions a vision where the Union transcends its role as a mere regulator that reacts to technological transformations coming from abroad, to become a global digital leader. True sovereignty requires the internal capacity to innovate, the strength to protect our democratic foundations, and the vision to lead the world in defining a new digital civilization.
Our projects to contribute in shaping the future of Europe include:
- Building European Digital Capacity: We advocate for the strategic deployment of EU R&D funds and private capital to scale european champions in AI, semiconductors, and cloud infrastructure. Sovereignty is built on the ability to offer the world a third way—a distinct European model that thrives outside the binary of current geopolitical poles.
- A New Generation of Strategic Partnerships: While Europe must secure its own autonomy, it must also lead through advanced science and technology diplomacy. RIE facilitates international cooperation with partners in Latin America, Africa, and Asia who seek a digital future aligned with human-centric values, transparency, and ethical governance.
- The European Network for Technological Resilience and Sovereignty (ETRS): As a founding member of the ETRS, RIE is a key actor for this mission-driven network of think tanks and research institutions. We work to close the gap with global competitors by turning fragmented efforts into a coordinated, evidence-based strategy for a secure and open European digital ecosystem.
- Cannes Declaration on the Sovereignty of the Mind (2026), co-signed by our Chief Executive, Erika Staël von Holstein, and a global coalition of experts. This landmark document establishes that, in the AI era, the ultimate sovereign must be human thought and digital progress must empower citizens rather than treat them as datasets to be nudged or mined.
- European Media Ecosystem. A robust democracy cannot survive without a healthy information environment, as highlighted by our Advisory Board’s Chair, Maria João Rodrigues, in the recent Siena Conference on the Future of Europe. RIE is working with an extensive network of partners to build a European Media Critical Infrastructure to guarantee European citizens’ access to high-quality, verified, and truthful content in an age of synthetic media and algorithmic polarization.
Honoring the spirit of our founder, President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, we remain dedicated to the conviction that through intellectual courage and strategic unity, Europe will continue to lead globally, ensuring that technology and progress remain forever in the service of humanity.