Wars and crises are draining our economies, our sense of security and our emotional wellbeing. They are affecting our daily lives: supply chains are becoming less reliable, energy prices are soaring, and trade dependencies on fossil-fuel energy and critical minerals pose risks to national security. Tariffs, industrial overcapacities and export restrictions threaten jobs and prosperity. Taken together, all this is exposing Europe’s weaknesses and vulnerabilities.At the same time, we have shown how strengthening our alliances and our economic and military capacities can increase our scope for action. Forming a united European political front is helping to safeguard the sovereignty of Greenland, for instance. And despite all the recent turmoil, Europe remains one of the most attractive places in the world to live and work.It is up to us to keep Europe strong. We decide – not the White House, not the Great Hall of the People and not the Kremlin. I want Germany and Europe, and for me that very much includes the UK as an integral ally and partner, to be strong enough that nobody can blackmail us. The solution is to become more sovereign, and to be clear, sovereignty is not nationalism.Sovereignty is the precondition for political power and economic strength. But we can only enhance our sovereignty together, as Europeans. A strong and sovereign Europe can protect its citizens against threats, whether they come from within or abroad.The German government is working on a reform agenda; not as an austerity programme but a sovereignty project. We need to reform Germany if we want to safeguard and enhance our European capacity to act.As economic and military sovereignty is the priority focus in Germany, we have introduced a €500bn investment fund to modernise our infrastructure and invest in high-quality public goods. We have already reformed Germany’s debt brake to allow us to modernise and equip our military and enhance our engagement in Nato.But as Europeans, we are not living up to our potential. We have world-class research and development but, way too often, start-ups founded in Europe relocate to the US because they cannot find the necessary capital to grow here. This is why I have been pushing to deepen the single European capital markets union.In Germany, the system of collective bargaining that connects unions, employers and the state in a “social contract” is a strategic advantage at times of crisis and reform. Together, we will carry a big responsibility in the months to come as we update our business model and renew our social contract. To make that effort pay off, we are seeking to introduce a tax reform that increases incomes for 95% of people, while asking the highest earners and the wealthiest individuals to contribute a bit more.Germany has a part-time employment rate of nearly 40%, one of the highest in Europe. Almost one in two women work part-time. This is why the next priority is to reduce structural barriers to the labour market. Some