Bertrand Badre and Eric Hazan

BERTRAND BADRÉ IS A FORMER MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE WORLD BANK, AND IS CHAIR OF THE PROJECT SYNDICATE ADVISORY BOARD, CEO AND FOUNDER OF BLUE LIKE AN ORANGE SUSTAINABLE CAPITAL, AND THE AUTHOR OF CAN FINANCE SAVE THE WORLD?. ERIC HAZAN IS FOUNDING PARTNER OF ARDABELLE CAPITAL AND SENIOR PARTNER/DIRECTOR EMERITUS AT MCKINSEY & COMPANY.

European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters, on the day farmers protest against proposed cuts to Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) funding and the European Commission's plan to merge agricultural and cohesion policies, in Brussels, Belgium July 16, 2025. REUTERS/Yves Herman
THE BOTTOM LINE

European democracy needs its middle class back

It’s time for an ambitious three-pronged plan to strengthen the backbone of stable, prosperous societies