As European governments debate “European strategic autonomy,” its implications for space policy have become a central concern. Luxembourg’s Prime Minister, Luc Frieden, addressed the issue during his visit to Paris for the French government’s International Space Summit on September 9 and 10. With tensions between Brussels and the Trump administration continuing, major American aerospace companies were conspicuously absent.
We began by discussing the far-right breakthrough in Germany, particularly the AfD’s victory in Saxony-Anhalt’s state election in early September, which sent shockwaves across the EU.
“Of course, we live in democracies, so it is for the people of the respective (EU) countries to vote for their leaders, and I am a very strong supporter of democratic elections,” Frieden said. “Yet people should also understand what would happen without Europe. Europe is the answer to the disasters of the last century. We must not forget the lessons of history. Nationalism and the discrimination of Jews and other minorities helped lead to the Second World War.”
Frieden said far-right electoral victories require centrist politicians to demonstrate that they can still fulfill Europe’s promise. “I want to ensure that Europe remains a continent of peace tomorrow,” he said. “But peace is not our only goal. We also need prosperity—the ability to sell products made in one country across this large market. That is the promise that improves people’s lives.”
We asked whether the absence of American aerospace companies, including SpaceX, damaged the EU’s image. The companies reportedly stayed away from the French-hosted summit because of pressure from the Trump administration.
“Strategic autonomy means the freedom to make our own decisions, including in space,” Frieden explained. “But making independent decisions does not mean excluding everyone else or isolating ourselves. Europeans can be proud of what we have achieved through our universities, research centres and companies. We have strong businesses building rockets and satellites, and we should continue advancing in areas such as quantum technology, where satellites enable communication between continents. Luxembourg is playing a leading role in that field. All of this is essential. But America remains our friend, and on many occasions, we need its technology.”
Expressing concern that the United States does not view cooperation with Europe in the same way, we pointed out that the EU had again been excluded from American diplomatic efforts concerning Ukraine in early September.
“On Ukraine, Europe cannot act as a mediator because Europe is clearly on Ukraine’s side,” Frieden replied. “We support Ukraine because the stakes extend far beyond the eastern provinces. What is at issue is the fundamental principle we strongly believe in: borders cannot be changed by force. Every American effort to help find a solution therefore has Europe’s support. We now need to work with the United States to ensure that Europe’s voice is heard. We would, of course, like the Americans to show greater willingness to embrace multilateralism. This is a difficult and challenging period, but we have extensive links with America, including economic ties that we must preserve.”
