Brussels, 27/07/2021 (Agence Europe) – During a conference at the Menéndez Pelayo International University on Tuesday 27 July, the European Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, said he considered it necessary to “infuse” a little “hard power” to “establish ourselves” as a “proud” partner of its strengths and “ready to defend them” in a “fiercely” competitive global scene. For him, the “soft power” that characterises the Union must meet this “hard power”. The Commissioner gave, as an example, the EU’s effort in the field of vaccines to become the world’s leading producer. Mr Breton recalled that the construction of Europe has been founded, since its beginnings, on joint “technological” projects (steel and coal and more recently: Airbus, Galileo, and now alliances in the field of batteries or hydrogen). (PH)