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Europe may emerge from the recent crisis stronger than before, as a player with a more sustainable democratic model than China and fewer political divides than the US. What reports tend to neglect is that Europe is currently the largest economic region, leading in exports, foreign direct investment, and most indicators on Sustainable Development. A reason for this downplaying is that Europe is seen as continent consisting of individual small and big countries and not as a political or economic whole. The paper takes an alternative position and carves out conditions for closing divides, to make existing European strengths more visible and extend the quality lead. The Recovery and Resilience Facility as well as the Multiannual Financial Framework must be used for reforms and coherence. A rebounding Europe requires a double strategy of fostering innovation while redirecting productivity towards energy and resource saving, away from its current priority on labour efficiency. This would empower Europe to be a quality player in a multipolar world in which there are no longer only two superpowers, China and the US, competing for attention.

The economic agenda of bringing jobs back and improving dynamics can sometimes work in the short run, if past fiscal prudence has left some space for higher government expenditures for low incomes. However, in the long run, protection and redistribution without active components, innovation and new firms do not work.

This article rejects the dominant assertion that the world will become bipolar, with the sole remaining superpower USA as the retreating pole and China as the upcoming power on the road to leading in the new world order. We counter that forecasters should not forget Europe. In its geographical borders, it is currently leading in several quantitative and qualitative dimensions such as exports, quality manufacturing, life quality, and life expectancy. If the EU joins forces with countries already affiliated or looking for closer ties, and acts in a more coordinated manner across its members, it can be a partner of the US and China on a level playing field. This fact is currently ignored by international media and analysts. The article ventures to carve out some policy changes, which could increase Europe's leverage. The new world order will not arise in a linear way and new middle powers will exist alongside the strongest actors: China, Europe, and the US.

This article rejects the dominant assertion that the world will become bipolar, with the sole remaining superpower USA as the retreating pole and China as the upcoming power on the road to leading in the new world order. We counter that forecasters should not forget Europe. In its geographical borders, it is currently leading in several quantitative and qualitative dimensions such as exports, quality manufacturing, life quality, and life expectancy. If the EU joins forces with countries already affiliated or looking for closer ties, and acts in a more coordinated manner across its members, it can be a partner of the US and China on a level playing field. This fact is currently ignored by international media and analysts. The article ventures to carve out some policy changes, which could increase Europe's leverage. The new world order will not arise in a linear way and new middle powers will exist alongside the strongest actors: China, Europe, and the US.