In an op-ed published this week in several European newspapers, including Poland's Rzeczpospolita, Séjourné wrote that "the Chinese have 'Made in China,' the Americans have 'Buy American,' and most other economic powers have similar programmes that give preference to their own strategic resources. So why shouldn’t we?"
His comments come ahead of an informal summit of EU heads of state and government on February 12, at which former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi is expected to present an update on his 2024 report on European competitiveness.
Séjourné is also expected to present the Industrial Accelerator Act later this month, an initiative in which "European preference" is set to play a key role.
"As the European Union, we are entering a decisive moment for our future," said Witold Strzelecki, managing director of Business and Science Poland, a Brussels-based association representing Polish companies in talks with EU institutions.
"For the European economy, this is a make-or-break moment that will decide whether we catch up with China and the United States or fall behind," he told Danuta Isler.
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