Lessons From European Geoeconomics & The Future Of International Tax Policy
By:“Before we can project strength abroad, we must renew at home.” – Ursula von der Leyen
In response to increasing economic coercion by friend and foe alike, European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, declared in an October 2025 speech that Europe must adopt a “new mindset” to use its “geoeconomic weight” to pursue its own interests.
The President framed power-plays by China, Russia, and (implicitly) the United States, as proof of a new “era of geoeconomics” to which Europe now needed to respond.
This is a preview of our full op-ed originally published in IFC.
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Sean Bray
Vice President of Global Tax Policy at Tax Foundation and Policy Director of Tax Foundation Europe
Sean Bray is Vice President of Global Tax Policy at Tax Foundation and Policy Director of Tax Foundation Europe, where he researches international tax issues with a focus on tax policy in Europe. Prior to joining the Tax Foundation, Sean Bray worked in the United States Senate on tech, telecom, and trade policy.