Revisiting Joseph Weiler's seminal article 'The Transformation of Europe' from 1991, the discussion explored whether Europe's legal and political foundations that sustained European integration are still adequate for today's challenges, and what kind of transformation Europe needs to face them.
Bradford took stock of the past 35 years, arguing that the Europe that emerged, despite its resilience, remains unfinished. "We have an incompletely transformed Union, and we still don't have all those structural foundations that would allow us to face today's crises with tremendous strength," she said, before turning to three structural challenges that the EU should address: security, prosperity, and democracy.
On security, Bradford stressed that Europe has long underinvested in its own defence and relied on the United States — which is no longer sustainable. The security challenge, she argued, cannot be separated from economic strength: "There is no security without prosperity", she warned, adding that without a competitive economy, Europe remains exposed to coercion from more powerful countries, and can no longer afford the social welfare that defines the European way of life, nor protect its democratic institutions.
Bradford closed the lecture on a call to action and a note of optimism. "This is a rich continent. It can be a military power and defend this continent if it wants to. It can be an innovative competitive economy if it wants to. And it has the tools to be the leader of the free world." But to get there, she argued, Europe must find the courage to undergo what she described as the most important transformation of all: the transformation of the European mindset.