“’Emergencies’ have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded” – F.A.v Hayek

Unfortunately, recent efforts to save Europe have done little to remedy the situation. The EU has tried to fight the consequences of the financial crisis by attempting to harmonize the fiscal policies of its member states and unifying the most diverse continent on Earth into a stronger political union. In fact, the lack of a real growth plan among European leaders despite the need for urgent structural reforms may be contributing to the creation of a negative growth spiral that could severely damage Europe — and affect future generations for years to come.

Have European leaders forgotten that Europe’s strength lies in its diversity? Do they not realize that Europe’s former economic dynamism depended on freedom and high educational standards? What kind of Europe do EU leaders think they are creating with every attempt to coordinate, harmonize and unify the policies of its member states?

Europe needs to be reinvented. It needs to stop focusing solely on short-term damage control and look beyond the current crisis — and start thinking long-term about how best to manage its resources and implement real structural reforms

The 2013 Free Market Road Show® brought together leading business people, outstanding scholars, opinion leaders, policy experts, elected officials and other interested parties from all over the world to discuss these questions. Panel discussions explored what kind of Europe people want, examine the ‘conundrum’ in which the European Union finds itself in and discuss ways to turn the current crisis into an opportunity.