New Delhi: Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has acknowledged that Europe failed to act on an earlier warning from Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the dangers of excessive economic dependence on other countries, saying the continent is now facing the consequences.
Speaking at a CII event, De Wever said India and Europe were confronting similar challenges as economic and industrial dependencies increasingly became tools of geopolitical pressure. He stressed that neither side wanted to be pushed around or see trade relationships turned into leverage.
De Wever said India had recognised the risks much earlier, while Europe took longer to respond. He described Europe’s current realisation as a “rude awakening”, adding that the continent had allowed foreign industrial overcapacity to enter its markets at very low prices, weakening parts of its own manufacturing base.
His remarks appeared to refer to China, which has become a major source of industrial goods for European markets. De Wever said India had identified the problem earlier and had warned European countries, but those concerns were not given enough attention at the time.
The Belgian prime minister strongly backed closer India Europe cooperation, describing India as the continent’s most important potential strategic partner. He highlighted India’s large talent pool, innovation capabilities and strong economic growth as areas offering major opportunities for collaboration.
He said Europe needed more diversified trade relationships with reliable partners while maintaining openness to global markets. At the same time, he argued that protecting national interests was essential to preserving trust in free trade.
De Wever acknowledged differences between India and Europe but said their interests increasingly converged on democracy, innovation, economic resilience and predictable international rules.
In a world facing growing pressure to choose between rival blocs, he said India and Europe should instead deepen their partnership.
