On Europe Day, MEP Rareș Bogdan published a text on social media that departs from the usual pattern of protocol messages. No formulaic congratulations, no images of the EU flag — but rather a personal, direct and at times uncomfortable analysis of the state of the European project.
“The Lioness Europe. The most fascinating, but also the most frustrating project on the planet. That is why we love it so much. It is almost human. We recognize ourselves here, we feel at home. Its political seasons show us our limits, but also our wings; its complexity has deep roots. What an astonishing legacy! Representative democracy, Athens, Roman law, the seductive Renaissance, the Enlightenment! Critical thinking, but also panta rhei! Metamorphoses, but also dead ends. Dreaming, but also fear. Christianity! Especially as we must defend it! Are we still doing so? Sufficiently? It is imperative, because this is what we are, this is where we come from!”
Europe of Efficiency or Europe of Relevance?
The MEP does not avoid the real tensions of the moment. He acknowledges the strengths of the European project — its standards, quality of life, and ability to regulate technology — but places directly on the table its structural vulnerability in the face of global competition.
“Is complicated Europe still efficient? We have been, and still are, the world’s brain when it comes to standards. We now speak of data protection and AI ethics, of an extraordinary capacity to civilize technology. Admirable! In addition, it is the best place to live. Warmer. But what organic resilience does it have in the face of risk? The United States and China do what is called innovation through creative destruction, while Europe protects what it already has. It is slow and, at times, incapable of protecting its economic interests. Especially in the face of aggressive adversaries.”
The diagnosis is not new, but it is rarely formulated with such candor by a European politician currently in office.
Rareș Bogdan also identifies with precision the geopolitical stakes of the moment: “Where are we now? We are ending our geopolitical holiday. We are waking up. After we outsourced security to the United States and energy to Russia, telling ourselves that this would make war impossible, the recent inferno has awakened us. Objective reality has shown us the path: ‘soft power’ without ‘hard power’ is nothing. We are no longer united only by idealism, but by… let us call it systemic fear.”
The end of the post explicitly addresses Romania and its place in this European moment: “Romania is becoming increasingly relevant in the European chorus. Everyone knows it. They do not say it. Why would they, if we ourselves do not do it enough? Are others supposed to sell our merchandise for us? We are Europe in miniature. No one should underestimate us. We emerged from the inferno with scars that restored our instinct. We defend our perimeter and we defend Europe. Out of inertia, we can be lethal. But we are Christians. Or many of us were baptized.
Happy Europe Day, European citizens!”
A message that, beyond its rhetoric, reflects the real anxieties of a continent that, in 2025, is searching for a new reason to remain united.
Full text of the post:
“The Lioness Europe. The most fascinating, but also the most frustrating project on the planet. That is why we love it so much. It is almost human. We recognize ourselves here, we feel at home. Its political seasons show us our limits, but also our wings; its complexity has deep roots. What an astonishing legacy! Representative democracy, Athens, Roman law, the seductive Renaissance, the Enlightenment! Critical thinking, but also panta rhei! Metamorphoses, but also dead ends. Dreaming, but also fear. Christianity! Especially as we must defend it! Are we still doing so? Sufficiently? It is imperative, because this is what we are, this is where we come from!
Is complicated Europe still efficient? We have been, and still are, the world’s brain when it comes to standards. We now speak of data protection and AI ethics, of an extraordinary capacity to civilize technology. Admirable! In addition, it is the best place to live. Warmer. But what organic resilience does it have in the face of risk? The United States and China do what is called innovation through creative destruction, while Europe protects what it already has. It is slow and, at times, incapable of protecting its economic interests. Especially in the face of aggressive adversaries. What I like: here, one can prosper without sacrificing the individual on the altar of control. What I do not like, but which is being corrected: by insisting on moral perfection — and here we must discuss how we establish the gold standard, because the deviations are hard to swallow — our Europe risks becoming economically irrelevant. We have a saying: poor, yet delicate. Yes, but noblesse oblige! So let us go to the parade, but let us not fall asleep, because, as those who wish to dismantle us would say, the class enemy never sleeps. Economic realism always defeats ideological enthusiasm.
The European Union almost crossed through hell in order to awaken. It was not united over a glass of champagne, but on the ruins of empires that had devoured one another. What happened with Schuman’s declaration? A mechanism for managing historical trauma emerged and was transformed into an economic pact. Where are we now? We are ending our geopolitical holiday. We are waking up. After we outsourced security to the United States and energy to Russia, telling ourselves that this would make war impossible, the recent inferno has awakened us. Objective reality has shown us the path: ‘soft power’ without ‘hard power’ is nothing. We are no longer united only by idealism, but by… let us call it systemic fear. Individually, we lose our relevance. So, whether you like it or not, Grigore, you drink the holy water! On the chessboard there are players with less history, and others with more, but who are terribly pragmatic. Paradoxically, we needed a crisis at our border in order to take a step forward. Reform imposed itself not out of will, but because there were no longer any options. Costly, but indispensable.
Like a lioness. She seems calm, her tail moves slowly, at peace. Inert, but alive. But if you attack her cubs…
The historical and bureaucratic inertia that makes the EU appear to move in slow motion, a politeness which, to an external observer, may pass for weakness or drowsiness. What are our cubs? Our standard of living. And we mobilized. We felt the fangs of the adversary nearby and transformed 27 divergent voices into a compact sanctions bloc.
The lioness has awakened. If we have the wisdom, we control an economic and legislative asset which, together with the United States, cannot be defeated. Let us not forget: together with the United States! Romania is becoming increasingly relevant in the European chorus. Everyone knows it. They do not say it. Why would they, if we ourselves do not do it enough? Are others supposed to sell our merchandise for us? We are Europe in miniature. No one should underestimate us. We emerged from the inferno with scars that restored our instinct. We defend our perimeter and we defend Europe. Out of inertia, we can be lethal. But we are Christians. Or many of us were baptized.
Happy Europe Day, European citizens!”
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