The King urges the EU to act with “wisdom, vigor, and audacity” to defend its “at-risk” values

Eduardo González King Felipe VI urged the European Union this Wednesday to act "with wisdom, vigor, and audacity" in defense of "a lasting peace, an open and diversified economy, and a space for democracy and freedom." The King spoke these words during the closing ceremony of the 18th COTEC Europe Summit 2025, which was also attended by the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, and the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. The summit, held at the Convent of San Francisco in the Portuguese town of Coimbra, under the theme "A Call to Action," addressed, among other topics, the challenges facing competitiveness, economic growth, and innovation in the European Union. "Knowledge is not only the best guarantee of progress, but also a decisive factor for defense and security and a key principle of the new geostrategic order," the King stated in his speech, delivered in Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian. "We need knowledge not only to develop technology, new ways of organizing ourselves, and other forms of innovation, but, above all, to protect everything we have achieved together in recent decades: lasting peace, an open and diversified economy, a space for democracy and freedom, and a strong alliance to face the great economic, social, and environmental challenges," he continued. "All of this is at risk if we do not react in a timely manner, with wisdom, vigor, and boldness, without straying from our values and principles," he added. For his part, Italian President Sergio Mattarella warned that, in the current international context, "it is truly urgent, I would say a priority, for Europe to act, because standing still is no longer an option." "The risks of immobility are clearly identified in both the Draghi Report and the Letta Report," prepared by former Italian Prime Ministers Mario Draghi, present at this Coimbra summit, and Enrico Letta, he stated. In this regard, the Italian leader warned that "the common European defense" is one of the "effective and at the same time ambitious measures" needed. "Member States have been debating this issue for more than seventy years," and "today we are arriving late, trailing behind events," Mattarella lamented. Therefore, "the initiatives launched in this area by the European Commission are a fundamental first step and demonstrate full awareness of what is at stake." Regarding the European single market, Mattarella asserted that "there is much room for improvement." “The Letta report has presented valid proposals to expand the single market to sectors that have been excluded from it in the past, such as finance, energy, telecommunications, but also—and this is a fundamental aspect—research, innovation, and education,” he emphasized. During the event, both the King and Mattarella paid tribute to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who will conclude his second and final term in 2026 and for whom this COTEC Summit is his last as President of Portugal. “In this final meeting, attended by President Rebelo de Sousa, I would like to thank him for all these years of working together, for his constant willingness to help, for his constant support, for his positive attitude, and for his sound advice, which, like that of President Mattarella, I consider very valuable,” said the King. Honorary Doctorate The day before, the King and Sergio Mattarella were awarded Honorary Doctorates by the University of Coimbra, in recognition of their contribution to innovation, at a ceremony attended by Rebelo de Sousa. With this, King Felipe VI follows in the footsteps of his father, King Juan Carlos, who was named an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Coimbra, a 700-year-old institution, in May 1989. During his speech, King Felipe VI warned of "the need to have a Europe of security and defense," a challenge that "we must assume in an exercise of responsibility and memory, not against anyone, not against any regime or model, but to defend our own." "What is at stake is not what we have, but what we are," he warned. The Foundation for Technological Innovation (COTEC) was established in 1990 at the initiative of King Juan Carlos with the aim of promoting innovation as an economic and social driver. The summit, which has been held in a different country each year on a rotating basis since 2005, brings together the heads of state of Spain, Portugal, and Italy, the three countries where the Foundation is established (of which the King is Honorary President), along with authorities, business leaders, and relevant figures from the field of research, development, and innovation (R&D&I) in Europe. Since 2017, each meeting has been dedicated to a specific topic. The most recent meetings, held in Naples (2019), the National Palace of Mafra, near Lisbon (2020), Malaga (2021), and Braga (2020), addressed the topics of the Intangible Economy, Public Administration 4.0, Work 4.0, and Culture and Innovation. Spain has hosted the event six times, the first four in Madrid (2006, 2009, 2012 and 2017), the 2021 event in Malaga and the last, in September 2024, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

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