Four Motors for Europe and Enrico Letta debate how cohesion and competitiveness can guide Europe’s future

Opening the event, Minister Jaume Duch framed the discussion within the current European context, highlighting that the Four Motors are among the EU’s most competitive regions yet remain firmly committed to cohesion and territorial balance as essential to Europe’s identity. He called on regions to be “co-creators, not mere implementers, of the European project,” and linked the debate to the ongoing negotiations of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034, which will define Europe’s capacity to meet its ambitions. Duch also recalled the Four Motors Joint Declaration on the MFF (July 2025), which calls for “a strategic and regionally grounded EU budget that places regions in the driver’s seat.”

In his keynote speech, Enrico Letta urged Europe to seize what he described as a “red alarm moment.” As the Next Generation EU programme comes to an end, he warned, the Union faces the risk of fiscal contraction and political fragmentation. He called for the creation of a “Savings and Investment Union” to mobilise private capital towards productive investment, and for a new European industrial policy based on digitalisation, sustainability and research. Letta also reiterated his proposal to introducea “Fifth Freedom” – the free movement of knowledge, research and innovation – as a pillar of the Single Market, and stressed the need to guarantee not only “the freedom to move” but also “the freedom to stay”, through investment in public services, housing and regional equality.

Following the keynote, a structured political dialogue unfolded around four thematic blocks, each introduced by one of the Four Motors and followed by Letta’s reflections.

Block 1 – Cohesion and the Single Market (Catalonia)
Jaume Duch opened the first debate by rejecting the false choice between cohesion and competitiveness. He argued that Europe’s unity depends on both advancing together, and called for a modernised cohesion policy as a strategic investment tool reinforcing the Single Market and citizens’ trust. Enrico Letta agreed that cohesion and competitiveness are “two sides of the same coin,” and stressed that Europe will need new mechanisms beyond the MFF – such as the proposed SAFE Fund (Security Action for Europe) – to respond to global challenges.

Block 2 – Innovation and the Fifth Freedom (Baden-Württemberg)
Christian Schaal highlighted the need to boost Europe’s capacity for research and innovation, pointing to Baden-Württemberg’s R&D investment of 5.7% of GDP, one of the highest in Europe. He welcomed Letta’s idea of a “Fifth Freedom” and underlined that regions play a decisive role in innovation policy. In reply, Letta detailed seven guiding principles for the Fifth Freedom, from open access to data to critical mass in higher education and stronger university alliances, urging regions to “lead the political momentum” for this initiative.

Block 3 – Decarbonisation to Compete (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)
Pierre Oliver highlighted the strategy deployed by Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes to support industrial relocation, especially in the energy sector and showcased the Hydrogen Valley “IMAGHyNE” project as a flagship of regional leadership in the energy transition. He stressed that Europe must integrate regional actors into the governance of its future hydrogen ecosystems. Letta acknowledged the ambition of such projects and called for a genuine European Energy Union, warning that the protection of national energy mixes has become “a barrier to competitiveness and integration.” He urged investment in cross-border interconnections and a single European energy grid, describing it as “the key investment for resilience and affordability.”

Block 4 – Towards an Inclusive Economy (Lombardy)
Raffaele Cattaneo called for a vision of inclusive competitiveness, reminding that “the Single Market must deliver prosperity for all citizens and territories.” He warned that the ongoing MFF negotiations seem to favour competitiveness over cohesion, and called for genuine multilevel governance that gives regions a clear role. Letta endorsed this view, noting that cohesion also depends on infrastructure and connectivity, not only on financial transfers. He concluded with a metaphor that captured the spirit of the discussion: “Europe sent a man to the Moon in 1969 but invented the suitcase on wheels twenty years later — leadership means delivering what truly matters to citizens.”

In his closing remarks, Minister Jaume Duch thanked the participants for “a truly inspiring exchange” and summarised three main takeaways: the need to strengthen cooperation between universities and research institutions, to address housing and inclusion as European issues, and to promote inclusive competitiveness as a modern balance between growth and cohesion. He emphasised that Europe must match its ambitions with sufficient financial means and renewed political will. “If we want Europe to succeed in the coming years,” he concluded, “we must act together — not only as implementers, but as co-architects of its future.”