TL;DR

• <h2>Europe’s ‘Rude Awakening’ to Economic Dependence, Belgian PM Credits India’s Warnings</h2>
• <p>Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has declared that Europe is confronting a “rude awakening” after years of increasing economic reliance on China, acknowledging that India had cautioned European nations about these risks well in advance. Speaking at a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) event in Delhi during his two-day visit, De Wever highlighted how Europe had permitted cheap foreign goods to inundate its markets, thereby undermining domestic industries and fostering dependence on external suppliers.</p>
• <blockquote>For Europe, these past years have been a rude awakening. For too long, Europe looked on as overcapacity was dumped below costs on our markets. As its industrial base was undermined and as dependencies were deliberately built up so that it could be used as leverage.</blockquote>
• <p>De Wever noted that India had recognized this danger earlier than Europe and had issued warnings about the consequences of such economic dependencies. “India saw this earlier than we did. And they warned us. And we didn’t listen,” he stated, in an apparent reference to China’s expanding economic influence and the dumping of goods in European markets. He directly credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for having warned Europe about this broader threat, adding, “Your Prime Minister warned Europe about this a long time ago. But he was ignored. He was not listened to. But we are listening now.”</p>
• <p>The Belgian leader underscored that Europe is now grappling with the repercussions of allowing these dependencies to accumulate, including the potential for economic relationships to be weaponized as instruments of political pressure. De Wever made it clear that Brussels now considers India an exceptionally important and trusted partner in a period of geopolitical uncertainty. “India is No.1 on our list. If India is not on your list, then you are missing something fundamental,” he asserted, questioning the reliability of countries that might abruptly alter trade policies or impose tariffs.</p>
• <p>Belgium is keen to elevate its relationship with India to “another level — economically, politically, but also strategically.” This deepening partnership extends to defence and security cooperation, which Prime Minister Modi described as a “key pillar” of the broader India-Belgium relationship. In a significant development, Belgium has reportedly assured New Delhi that it will not supply critical military hardware to Pakistan, aligning with India’s security concerns. Ten agreements between Indian and Belgian defence industries were finalized during the Modi-De Wever talks, with plans for joint production of military equipment, including rockets, in India using Belgian technology. Both countries also committed to expanding military exchanges, training, intelligence-sharing, and cooperation between their respective agencies.</p>