Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said Europe has realised the risks of depending heavily on other countries for trade and industry, admitting that India had warned European nations about these vulnerabilities much earlier.&nbsp;Speaking at a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) event in New Delhi, De Wever said Europe had ignored warnings about growing economic dependencies but was now facing their consequences.&nbsp;“We face the same challenges. We are confronted with the same power blocks that are going in a certain direction, a direction that we may not like, and we do not like to be pushed around. We do not like dependencies becoming weaponised against us,” he said.&nbsp;De Wever said India understood the dangers of excessive economic dependence long before Europe did. He acknowledged that European countries failed to act on the warnings given by India’s Prime Minister.&nbsp;“You have lived this history. Your prime minister warned Europe about this long time ago already, but he was ignored. He wasn’t listened to. We are listening now. It’s a bit late maybe in Europe this awakening, but it is happening,” he said.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-india-phuket-delhi-flight-probe-preliminary-report-reveals-hydraulic-failure-and-pilot-s-positive-drug-test-1788513892137">Air India Phuket-Delhi Flight probe: Preliminary report reveals hydraulic failure and pilot's positive drug test</a><h3>Europe’s ‘rude awakening’</h3>&nbsp;The Belgian Prime Minister described Europe’s experience with trade and industrial dependencies as a “rude awakening”. He said European markets had allowed foreign overcapacity to enter at prices below cost, weakening the continent’s industrial base.&nbsp;“The country that has profited most from that practice does not lie very far from here. It is a neighbour you all know. And India saw this earlier than we did and they warned us, and we didn’t listen,” he said, referring indirectly to China.&nbsp;De Wever also called for stronger cooperation between India and Europe in several key sectors. He highlighted critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, green energy, technology, defence and maritime security as areas where both sides could pursue joint initiatives.<h3>India-Europe cooperation</h3>His remarks came as he pushed for closer bilateral cooperation to address shared economic and strategic challenges. De Wever said India and Europe face similar concerns over economic dependencies and changing global power dynamics.&nbsp;He stressed the need for cooperation across critical industries and strategic sectors, including defence, technology, pharmaceuticals and clean energy.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said Europe is facing a “rude awakening” over its economic dependence on China after ignoring India’s earlier warnings about the risks of trade and industrial dependencies.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said Europe has realised the risks of depending heavily on other countries for trade and industry, admitting that India had warned European nations about these vulnerabilities much earlier. Speaking at a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) event in New Delhi, De Wever said Europe had ignored warnings about growing economic dependencies but was now facing their consequences. “We face the same challenges. We are confronted with the same power blocks that are going in a certain direction, a direction that we may not like, and we do not like to be pushed around. We do not like dependencies becoming weaponised against us,” he said. De Wever said India understood the dangers of excessive economic dependence long before Europe did. He acknowledged that European countries failed to act on the warnings given by India’s Prime Minister. “You have lived this history. Your prime minister warned Europe about this long time ago already, but he was ignored. He wasn’t listened to. We are listening now. It’s a bit late maybe in Europe this awakening, but it is happening,” he said. Also Read: Air India Phuket-Delhi Flight probe: Preliminary report reveals hydraulic failure and pilot's positive drug test Europe’s ‘rude awakening’ The Belgian Prime Minister described Europe’s experience with trade and industrial dependencies as a “rude awakening”. He said European markets had allowed foreign overcapacity to enter at prices below cost, weakening the continent’s industrial base. “The country that has profited most from that practice does not lie very far from here. It is a neighbour you all know. And India saw this earlier than we did and they warned us, and we didn’t listen,” he said, referring indirectly to China. De Wever also called for stronger cooperation between India and Europe in several key sectors. He highlighted critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, green energy, technology, defence and maritime security as areas where both sides could pursue joint initiatives. India-Europe cooperation His remarks came as he pushed for closer bilateral cooperation to address shared economic and strategic challenges. De Wever said India and Europe face similar concerns over economic dependencies and changing global power dynamics. He stressed the need for cooperation across critical industries and strategic sectors, including defence, technology, pharmaceuticals and clean energy.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said Europe is facing a “rude awakening” over its economic dependence on China after ignoring India’s earlier warnings about the risks of trade and industrial dependencies.

‘India warned us’: Belgian PM says Europe faces ‘rude awakening’ over China dependency

Europe is falling behind the United States and China in innovation and productivity and is struggling to take responsibility for its own defence, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said on Monday. "All of Europe is in difficulty, the world is changing very quickly, and Europe has become an old continent. The Chinese and Americans are surpassing us; we are no longer at the forefront in innovation and productivity, so we are taking hits from all sides," De Wever told broadcaster Bel RTL. &nbsp;"We are not capable of taking care of our own defense; we are humiliated all the time," he added. De Wever said Europeans were increasingly aware of the challenges confronting the continent and believed the public was prepared to accept difficult measures to address them. "So people know very well that we need to get moving, and certainly in Belgium, we are in serious trouble," he said. His comments came as Belgium's federal government prepares a major budget-cutting drive, with a target of identifying around €10 billion ($11.7 billion) in savings by 2029. The Belgian prime minister acknowledged that the measures would affect people across the country, rather than being limited to a small section of society. "I am not sleeping well, and I think about it a lot," he said, referring to the difficult budget decisions ahead.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/giorgia-meloni-s-government-breaks-berlusconi-s-record-becomes-italy-s-longest-lasting-since-wwii-1788501472527">Giorgia Meloni’s government breaks Berlusconi’s record, becomes Italy’s longest-lasting since WWII</a> "We are in a situation where everyone will feel the consequences of what we do, no matter how we do it," he added. De Wever also warned against the idea that increasing government revenues could be achieved simply by asking wealthy taxpayers to shoulder the burden. "If we seek revenue, it will be from the rich. And someone who is rich is always richer than you. You are never rich; it's someone else, richer than you, who has to pay the bills," he said. He also pointed to the tendency among people to believe that spending cuts should affect someone else rather than themselves. "Everyone thinks: if we make savings, it will be at my neighbour's expense, not mine," he added. The remarks underline the economic and strategic pressures facing Belgium and Europe as governments grapple with sluggish productivity, competitiveness concerns, rising defence requirements and difficult fiscal choices.

Belgian PM Bart De Wever warns Europe is falling behind the US and China in innovation, productivity and defence as Belgium plans €10 billion in savings

Europe is falling behind the United States and China in innovation and productivity and is struggling to take responsibility for its own defence, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said on Monday. "All of Europe is in difficulty, the world is changing very quickly, and Europe has become an old continent. The Chinese and Americans are surpassing us; we are no longer at the forefront in innovation and productivity, so we are taking hits from all sides," De Wever told broadcaster Bel RTL. "We are not capable of taking care of our own defense; we are humiliated all the time," he added. De Wever said Europeans were increasingly aware of the challenges confronting the continent and believed the public was prepared to accept difficult measures to address them. "So people know very well that we need to get moving, and certainly in Belgium, we are in serious trouble," he said. His comments came as Belgium's federal government prepares a major budget-cutting drive, with a target of identifying around €10 billion ($11.7 billion) in savings by 2029. The Belgian prime minister acknowledged that the measures would affect people across the country, rather than being limited to a small section of society. "I am not sleeping well, and I think about it a lot," he said, referring to the difficult budget decisions ahead. Also Read: Giorgia Meloni’s government breaks Berlusconi’s record, becomes Italy’s longest-lasting since WWII "We are in a situation where everyone will feel the consequences of what we do, no matter how we do it," he added. De Wever also warned against the idea that increasing government revenues could be achieved simply by asking wealthy taxpayers to shoulder the burden. "If we seek revenue, it will be from the rich. And someone who is rich is always richer than you. You are never rich; it's someone else, richer than you, who has to pay the bills," he said. He also pointed to the tendency among people to believe that spending cuts should affect someone else rather than themselves. "Everyone thinks: if we make savings, it will be at my neighbour's expense, not mine," he added. The remarks underline the economic and strategic pressures facing Belgium and Europe as governments grapple with sluggish productivity, competitiveness concerns, rising defence requirements and difficult fiscal choices.

Belgian PM Bart De Wever warns Europe is falling behind the US and China in innovation, productivity and defence as Belgium prepares major budget cuts

'Europe has become an old continent': Belgian PM warns US, China are surpassing Europe

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‘India warned us’: Belgian PM says Europe faces ‘rude awakening’ over China dependency

'We are humiliated all the time': Belgian PM warns Europe cannot defend itself