Urgency drives Draghi reforms as defence leads and energy lags
Two years after the publication of the Draghi Report, the European Union has implemented only 16 percent of its 176 proposals, with progress concentrated in areas of acute geopolitical urgency such as defence and critical raw materials.
Geopolitics overtakes feasibility
An analysis of the 176 proposals in the Draghi Report shows that implementation is decoupled from initial political feasibility and transformative potential.
Across the tracked sectoral measures, 16 percent are fully implemented, 26 percent are partially implemented, and 42 percent remain under way.
Critical raw materials reached nearly 40 percent implementation, while energy reforms barely exceed 1 percent despite carrying the highest transformative impact score.
Defence recorded the fastest acceleration, with implemented or partially implemented measures rising from 22 percent in September 2025 to 53 percent in July 2026 amid shifting transatlantic security dynamics.
Coordination weighs heavier than capital
Funding constraints do not explain the uneven execution, as 53 percent of the proposals require no new public investment.
In regulatory simplification, 92 percent of measures need zero funding, while financing and competition proposals require none.
However, annual funding needs have climbed from €800 billion to €1.2 trillion once defence is included.
The primary obstacle remains coordination across 27 member states rather than capital shortages.
Neglected areas like human capital appear in only 17 percent of European Commission mission letters.
Crisis mode is not a strategy
Brussels remains trapped in a reactive crisis mode instead of driving structural transformation.
Prioritising defence while leaving energy and innovation stalled severely undermines long-term competitiveness.
Without streamlined decision-making across member states, the Draghi agenda will stay largely unfulfilled.