This is an ambitious book. The premise is that there is a need to modernise the appeal of Europe by developing a new narrative that (re)connects Europe’s citizens – its stakeholders – to the idea of Europe and specifically one that engages Generation Z. Rudy Aernoudt is eminently qualified to offer a new narrative. He has worked almost all of his professional career in European Union Institutions – in European advisory bodies, the European Council and the European Commission. His roles have included cabinet director at European level, Special Counsellor to the European Council President and chief economist. He has also held positions as Head of Cabinet in Belgium, at federal, Flemish and Walloon level. He has significant policy achievements. He designed and implemented the Joint European Ventures (JEV) programme to stimulate European companies to set up joint ventures with companies from other European countries. He co-founded the European Business Angel Network (EBAN) and he conceived the ESCALAR (European Scale-up Action for Risk Capital) that will double the capacity of the venture capital funds to support companies at their scale-up stage. Our paths crossed in the late 1990s when EBAN was being conceived and established, and we have remained in contact, albeit sporadically, since then.

Aernoudt starts by tracking the deepening integration of Europe. The European Union was created in 1957 when the Treaty of Rome was signed, initially as an economic union comprising six Member States, expanding to 28 members (following Brexit it now has 27 members), with several states seeking membership. Over this time, Europe has evolved from its origins as an economic union. The process of economic integration has deepened, culminating in the Single Market which, in turn, paved the way for the European Monetary Union, with the Treaty of Lisbon creating a coherent set of decision-making procedures. This has resulted in the acquisition of increasingly new competences moving into non-economic fields as laws have been translated into national legislation. Aernoudt highlights the increasingly complex interplay between the European Council and the European Parliament and the exponential growth of regulations and directives, much of which relates to the internal market, complicating the daily lives of ordinary citizens.