While the coronavirus pandemic has revealed the vulnerabilities of the global economy, the cause and shortcomings of trade policy’s persisting legitimacy crisis are rooted much deeper and are reinforced by the EU’s trade and investment agenda. This Policy Brief comprehensively looks at shortcomings and vulnerabilities of the global economy beyond the coronavirus pandemic and proposes a number of principles to ensure that EU trade and investment policy puts public welfare above private profit interests. Additionally, AK calls for a prosperity-led strategic autonomy that takes into account the growing momentum for an active economic policy that places concerns over the security of supply over profit and efficiency considerations.