At a time when Europe is facing multiple, overlapping crises – Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, instability in the Middle East and a growing range of hybrid threats – it is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid questions about Europe’s defence readiness and its responsibility for its own security. Against this backdrop, the panel discussion “Friends in a Storm: A Frank Dialogue on Europe’s Uncertain Future” in Riga brought together policy-makers and young participants for a focused and open exchange. The event was moderated by Visvaldis Bērziņš (KAS) and organised in cooperation with The German-Baltic Future Foundation, “Club ‘The House’” and YATA Latvia.
The discussion was attended by Jürgen Hardt, a long-standing member of the Bundestag and foreign affairs spokesperson for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, who has extensive experience in transatlantic relations, and Egils Levits, the former President of Latvia and a legal scholar who has played a key role in shaping his country’s constitutional development. The format facilitated a direct dialogue in which participants actively engaged rather than merely listening to prepared speeches.
A central theme of the debate was the question of whether Europe is actually moving towards taking greater responsibility for its own security, or whether significant external dependencies remain. This inevitably led to discussions about defence spending – including the recent increases in Latvia and Germany – and the question of whether these represent a long-term structural shift or merely a reaction to the current security situation. The overarching issue of the rules-based international order was also addressed: there was debate as to whether this still holds in practice or whether Europe is entering an increasingly uncertain and fragmented environment.
Overall, the discussion made it clear that Europe’s ability to defend itself cannot be measured solely in terms of military capabilities. Political stability, a clear strategic direction and societal resilience were repeatedly highlighted as equally crucial factors. Although the specific priorities varied, there was a consensus that the decisions taken today will shape Europe’s role and security for years to come.