European Initiative: EMCI
Europe has a strategy gap.
Not in policy —
in execution.
Europe’s competitiveness challenge cannot be resolved through capital, regulation, or technology alone. The missing variable is management quality — the capacity of organizations to actually execute on ambition.
The way forward in our opinion is the European Management Capabilities Initiative (EMCI), presented in a policy proposal published by the European Liberal Forum — grounded in three decades of direct exposure to management across private, public, and international organizations.
The diagnosis
The Draghi Report identifies Europe’s competitiveness gap with precision — productivity, market fragmentation, investment capacity. But one critical lever remains insufficiently explored: the quality of management within European enterprises and public administrations.
The missing middle
Policy ambition only delivers if organizations can implement it. That capacity is not shaped by legislation alone — it is shaped by how firms and institutions are led from within — how decisions are made, how priorities are set, and how execution is followed through.
Across Europe, many organizations combine strong strategic intent with fragmented execution — unclear ownership, shifting priorities, and limited follow-through.
Management quality is the connective tissue between structural reform and real-world impact.
Why now
A narrow window is opening. AI is reshaping how organizations operate — compressing decision cycles and increasing the premium on coordination and execution speed. At the same time, global competition is intensifying, while Europe’s industrial and green transitions require organizations to deliver at greater scale and pace.
In this context, management quality becomes a critical differentiator. Without it, ambition will continue to outpace delivery. With it, Europe can translate strategy into sustained competitive advantage.
If you work in policy, research, or industry and want to engage with this agenda, reach out here.
Why management quality is economic infrastructure
10–30%
of productivity variation across firms is explained by management practices
LSE / McKinsey research across Europe, the UK, and the US. Not a peripheral concern — a systemic determinant of how effectively organizations translate strategy into results.
SMEs
are the backbone of the European economy — and the most underserved
Smaller firms consistently lag in management quality — in structuring priorities, aligning teams, and sustaining execution over time. Raising the floor across Europe’s SMEs is a high-return policy objective.
AI
creates a narrow window to lead in ethical, human-centred management tools
Europe is positioned to develop its own standard — augmenting managerial judgment in areas such as resource allocation, performance tracking, and day-to-day decision-making, rather than replacing it.
“Just as ‘Made in Europe’ signals quality of product, a complementary marker could be added: ‘Managed as in Europe’ — signalling reliability, ethical governance, long-term thinking, and genuine care for people.”
Photo: Carl Campbell / Unsplash
The initiative
The European Management Capabilities Initiative — now a published policy proposal.
Co-authored with Vlad Botos, former Member of the European Parliament, and Maria Ionescu, policy advisor and Vice-President of The Liberal Community — the EMCI policy paper has been published by the European Liberal Forum (ELF). It proposes a concrete framework for embedding management excellence as a cornerstone of European competitiveness policy, without creating new institutions or administrative burden.
01 —
Make leadership development an economic priority
Recognise management quality as a structural determinant of competitiveness at EU and national levels — integrated into industrial, SME, and public-sector reform policy — including funding criteria, leadership development programs, and performance requirements.
02 —
Establish a European reference framework
A coherent framework defining principles and benchmarks for organizational performance — including decision-making processes, accountability structures, and execution practices — applicable to both enterprises and public administrations, and aligned with sustainability and European values.
03 —
Measure and demonstrate impact
Clear measurement systems to track management quality against productivity, innovation, resilience, and public-sector efficiency — at firm, sector, and national levels. Without measurement, ambition remains aspiration.
Published by the European Liberal Forum
The Art of Execution: Management as a Hidden Driver of Europe’s Competitiveness
Radu Mihail, Vlad Botos & Maria Ionescu — European Liberal Forum, 2025
Who this concerns
Policymakers & EU institutions
Management quality must move from the margins of economic policy to its centre — embedded in funding criteria, program design, and evaluation mechanisms.
Business leaders & CEOs
SMEs and mid-sized firms face the greatest gaps — and stand to gain the most. Strengthening management practices in areas such as prioritization, team alignment, and execution discipline is a direct lever for competitiveness, growth, and resilience.
Academics & think tanks
The evidence base exists. The next step is its translation into policy frameworks, benchmarking tools, and practical instruments that can be used by firms and public administrations across Europe.
Social partners
Trade unions and business associations are co-designers of standards, guarantors of legitimacy, and essential to ensuring that management reform delivers both performance and social cohesion.
Engage with the initiative
The paper is out —
now let’s build the coalition.
Whether you are a policymaker, a business leader, a researcher, or an institution — there is a role in this agenda. The EMCI needs allies, advocates, and voices across Europe.
Use the form to get in touch, share your perspective, or explore how to contribute to the next steps.
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