In dire need of economic freedom, Europe’s hope lies in the freedom movement

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BrusselsReport.eu
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By Brad Lips, CEO of Atlas Network, a network network of liberty-minded and free-market groups which has nearly 600 independent partners in more than 100 countries worldwide

 

On the long list of Europe’s public policy priorities, one stands out: Economic freedom. Country by country, European economies need to unleash a new era of entrepreneurship, innovation, and prosperity. And that means unleashing individual liberty.

In the first quarter of 2025, the eurozone economy posted just 0.4 percent growth. The European Union (EU) fared even worse, miring at 0.3 percent. In 2024, Germany’s economy actually contracted for the second year in a row.

The future isn’t looking much brighter. The International Monetary Fund has projected 0.8 percent growth for the continent by the end of this year. All the while, inflation remains as stubbornly high as growth is low.

Hope (still) lies in the free market. Europe has long been overtaxed and overburdened with government red tape, saddling small business owners and other entrepreneurs with seemingly countless taxes and regulations that make it difficult to stay in business, hire workers, and grow the economy. Not surprisingly, there are no trillion-dollar entrepreneurial ventures in Germany or France like the U.S.-based Amazon, Apple, Google, or Tesla which employ millions of employees between them.

Countries like Ireland offer a viable case study, keeping taxes relatively low and welcoming entrepreneurs with a regulatory regime that is less burdensome than most. With a 12.5 percent corporate tax rate and other pro-business policies, the Irish passport is actually now the world’s strongest in large part because the country has become a foreign investment hub.

But Ireland is an exception, not the rule. Elsewhere on the continent, government mandates encroach on individual liberties and freedoms, stifling entrepreneurs and innovators. In countries like Germany, research shows that the cost of government bureaucracy is especially detrimental to small businesses forced to devote precious time and money to compliance. One year ago, German, French, and Italian policymakers set regulatory reform as a top legislative priority, and yet not much has changed since then.

Fortunately, Europe’s freedom movement offers another sign of hope. From Bosnia and Herzegovina to Belgium and Georgia, free-market think tanks and “do tanks” (as I like to call them) are advocating regularly for pro-market reforms that can limit government and unleash prosperity through the private sector. And these groups aren’t just advocating; they are acting on their principles, pushing policymakers to enact reforms into law.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Association Multi’s business liberation team has helped stop a new $15 million tax on gasoline, halt an anti-competitive car insurance law, block a tariff on electricity, update labor law to enable students to work formally, and make it easier for freelancers to file formal complaints about disproportionate healthcare taxes. In the last two years, Association Multi’s efforts have led to five amendments of four laws to support Bosnian businesses and their employees.

In Belgium, the European Policy Information Center (EPICENTER) created a pan-European campaign—spanning 13 countries and their leading free-market think tanks—to boost the EU single market’s economic competitiveness, and helped shift public opinion to prioritize economic growth and competitiveness.

Political parties across the ideological spectrum have followed suit. For example, Romanian policymakers directly cited EPICENTER’s work as their inspiration to drop legislation that would have increased the installation cost of solar energy in private homes.

Progress in one country can lead to progress in another, and collaboration within the freedom movement is the key to lasting change. This week, all of Europe’s top freedom champions will converge at the 2025 Europe Liberty Forum in Brussels. At an event co-hosted by Atlas Network alongside the Belgium-based European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE) and EPICENTER, think tanks and do tanks will come together to share their respective experiences while learning from each other’s successes and challenges.

Nowhere else is there a platform like Europe Liberty Forum, where the continent’s leading public policy experts not only recognize the importance of liberty and freedom, but also collaborate on the best practices that can truly make Europe freer and more prosperous. Along the way, Atlas Network provides training for new think tank staffers, hosts pitch competitions to support up-and-coming nonprofit organizations, and rewards those who are redefining excellence with major policy wins—often in harrowing situations.

If Europe is to usher in a new era of economic prosperity, the continent will have to lean on its freedom champions. Every single day, free-market voices are winning hearts and minds, and policymakers are gradually following in their footsteps to enact the pro-market reforms that are so desperately needed from Germany to France and everywhere else. These voices will be at their loudest in Brussels this month, and all of Europe needs to listen.

 

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