This guest blog was written by Hilde Vernaillen, CEO of P&V Group (Belgium), and is shared here with her kind permission. In this thoughtful reflection, she highlights the vital role of cooperatives in building fairer, more resilient societies. While her focus is on the cooperative movement in this piece, her insights and convictions apply equally to the mutual model, which shares the same values of solidarity, democracy, and collective progress that underpin the work of our members around the world.
Our world is not doing well. Crises are multiplying and growing more intense. Armed conflicts are emerging or escalating, causing hundreds of thousands of victims and leaving deep wounds far beyond areas of conflict. Violence is spreading — and becoming normalised. Climate change is striking harder and more often. The devastating fires in Spain this summer were a powerful reminder of this reality, whilst the European Union reduces its climate ambitions, delaying or watering down key environmental measures under the pretext of regulatory flexibility.
Unrestrained capitalism continues to free itself from rules, ignoring the social and environmental consequences of its actions. It places the interests of a few above the common good. Across the world, authoritarian and illiberal regimes are gaining ground, attacking social rights, restricting individual freedoms, and weakening social cohesion.
In my own country of Belgium, too, we are stunned to see open attacks on fundamental values we once thought untouchable — in a nation known around the world for its tolerance, progressive thinking, and culture of respect. Faced with these many forms of regression, a growing majority of people long for something different: a society built on solidarity, fulfilment, and engagement. Many reject a world that is closing in on itself. They refuse selfishness and an attitude of “every man for himself”; they abhor violence, even that which is limited to the spoken word; and reject exclusion and division.
But we are not powerless. While the relentless pursuit of profit and self-interest pushes the world toward the brink, the cooperative model offers a powerful alternative. It serves the common good while fulfilling individual aspirations. As strong and sustainable economic actors, cooperatives represent another way of doing business — one that is more humane, more enduring, and more democratic.
A cooperative is an economic project created and driven by women and men who share common values. It is a business that embeds solidarity into its governance and reflects it in every decision. Cooperatives are socially responsible enterprises that provide concrete solutions to economic, social, and environmental challenges. They offer stable jobs, respect workers, engage citizens, and ensure fair remuneration for producers. They generate profits that are reinvested to secure their sustainability and growth. They are active in all sectors: services, industry, agriculture, innovation, and knowledge.
Contrary to what some may think, this model is far from marginal. In Europe, there are more than 268,000 cooperatives, representing 3.3 million jobs. In Belgium, approved cooperatives employ over 67,000 people and generate nearly EUR 85 million in turnover. These figures speak for themselves. Cooperatives are economic and social forces that deserve recognition, support, and, above all, expansion.
So, what do we need to achieve a true cooperative transition?
It begins with inspiring projects — ambitious initiatives led by committed groups that deliver strong economic, social, and environmental results from the start. Cooperative enterprises must be financially viable and have the means to sustain themselves throughout their journey. The future depends on strong cooperatives.
We also need genuine cooperative entrepreneurs — women and men who live these values, share them openly, and integrate them into their governance and daily work. Above all, we must broaden the reach of cooperatives and bring them into strategic sectors where the economic and social future of our countries is being shaped.
The tools are already in place: the legal frameworks exist, both public and private financing are available, and support structures are established. What we still lack is collective momentum, political will, and full recognition of the cooperative model as a driver of transformation.
Let us look to our neighbours — France, Germany, and the Netherlands — home to three of Europe’s strongest cooperative movements. Europe as a whole can be proud to lead the world in the number of cooperatives, total turnover, and employment among the global Top 100.
What if the cooperative model became the norm? This is not a utopia — it is a necessity. It is time to make cooperation a national ambition. The moment has come for a collective awakening and a leap forward. This is an ambition we must pursue — together.
