Press Release | Borrell, Menasse and Verhofstadt, along with other 40 European figures, call for real strategic sovereignty in view of the transatlantic breakup

As the Action Committee for a United States of Europe, they addressed a letter to President António Costa ahead of the extraordinary European Council meeting.

Brussels, January 21, 2026

On the eve of the extraordinary European Council Meeting, members, promoters, and allies of the relaunched Monnet’s Action Committee for the United States of Europe addressed a letter to President Antonio Costa, underscoring a moment of existential urgency for the European Union. The letter was published yesterday by Euractiv: LINK

The past year has marked a fundamental shift in the transatlantic relationship. What were once commercial disputes or diplomatic disagreements have, under the current U.S. administration, evolved into a systematic policy of coercion, one that repeatedly violates international law. From threats to the territorial integrity of an Arctic Member State to the unilateral imposition of arbitrary tariffs and the withdrawal of critical defense assets, these actions are not isolated incidents. They signal the collapse of a security model built on external dependency.

In response, the Action Committee has outlined eight concrete steps to forge a sovereign Europe, capable of defending its interests, values, and future.

As the poet Hölderlin wrote: "But where the danger is, also grows the saving power." That power lies in our unity. The current geopolitical moment must serve as Europe’s opportunity to achieve political unity. On security, Europe can no longer remain a fragmented protectorate; it must emerge as a sovereign actor.

The time for hesitation is over. The path forward is clear: Europe must act—now, together, and decisively.