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| Jyrki Katainen |
In
a fast-changing world, Europe needs new ideas and new initiatives
to achieve long-term sustainable growth that will make the continent
more resilient, more competitive, and more innovative. At the
European Commission, we have been working hard to complete the
Single Market, build out a Capital Markets Union, and strengthen
growth with our flagship plans for investment. We are not
operating in a vacuum, however, and are always eager to hear new
proposals and suggestions, especially from a broad public.
In
that context, we have been pleased to support the McKinsey Global
Institute’s initiative to crowdsource ideas for growth-oriented
reforms through its “Opportunity for Europe” essay contest.
It is very encouraging for us to see that, at a time of some
public scepticism about European institutions, there is still a
tremendous amount of enthusiasm for the European project, and high
expectations for policy reforms.
The
number of submissions to the essay contest, the range of the ideas
that were aired, and the breadth of participation from people around
the globe, all are causes for hope and optimism. This shows that,
even in complicated times, there are many creative people— and not
only in Europe—with strong ideas about the future of our continent,
and its unique form of political and economic integration. It is
very timely and important that we debate a comprehensive strategy for
the European Union, together and constructively. (…)
Jyrki
Katainen, Vice Presidente da Comissão Europeia, in Mckinsey Global Institute
