Luc Frieden, Prime Minister of Luxembourg; Credit: ME

On Tuesday 8 September 2026, Luxembourg's Ministry of State reported that Prime Minister Luc Frieden called for a more sovereign Europe focused on defence, energy and artificial intelligence (AI) during the Singapore Lecture Series.

Held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore, Prime Minister Frieden in his speech argued that Europe should reduce critical dependencies while preserving its values. “Europe is not America. Europe is not China. And we shouldn’t want to be,” he said, describing the European Union (EU) as a project for “peace, freedom and prosperity”. 

Against a backdrop of geopolitical instability, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and growing United States (US)-China rivalry, Prime Minister Frieden argued that recent crises had demonstrated that “dependence has a price”. He nevertheless stressed that greater sovereignty should not mean isolation or a “Fortress Europe”. 

Further in his speech, Prime Minister Frieden identified three main priorities for European sovereignty. On defence, he called for stronger deterrence and a more integrated European defence industry. “If Europe wants to remain a force for peace, we need to strengthen our deterrence,” he said. He also highlighted the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank, which Luxembourg helped establish together with Canada, as well as the need to strengthen Europe’s space capabilities.

On energy, he called for greater European production capacity, renewable energy and a more integrated energy network. “Energy is more than a commodity - it is the difference between autonomy and dependence,” he said. 

Turning to technology, Prime Minister Frieden called for “an AI of Europe, by Europe and for Europe”, developed according to European values and supported by European researchers, businesses and capital. 

He also stressed that these ambitions would require greater economic growth, investment and competitiveness, including further integration of the EU Single Market and European capital markets. 

Concluding his address, he said: “That is the sovereignty Europe needs - an autonomy with purpose. Not to retreat from the world but to find our place within it. Not to become like America or China but to be confidently European.”

Following a two-day programme, Prime Minister Frieden is concluding his official visit to Singapore on Tuesday 8 September 2026.