"Wake up, Europe! Return to the people!"

Tobias Koch

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (Chairwoman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation) welcomes Péter Magyar (Prime Minister of Hungary) in front of the Allianz Forum in Berlin.

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Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (Chairwoman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation) and Péter Magyar (Prime Minister of Hungary) enter the Allianz Forum.

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Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (President of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation) opens the 17th Europe Speech.

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Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (Chairwoman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation) delivers the welcome address for the State of Europe.

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Nina Klingspor (CEO of Allianz Central Europe) delivers the opening remarks.

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Péter Magyar (Prime Minister of Hungary) gives the 17th State of Europe

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In his speech, Péter Magyar (Prime Minister of Hungary) calls for Europe to be closer to its people.

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Dr. Mark Speich (Secretary General of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation), Volker Hassemer (Former Member of the Berlin House of Representatives), Prof. Dr. Hans-Gert Pöttering (Former President of the European Parliament), Prof. Dr. Norbert Lammert (Honorary Chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation) – from left to right

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Péter Magyar (Prime Minister of Hungary) during the State of Europe in the Allianz Forum.

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Péter Magyar (Prime Minister of Hungary) at the lectern in front of the flags of Europe, Hungary, and Germany.

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Interested students in the audience.

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Full house at the 17th State of Europe in the Allianz Forum at the Brandenburger Gate.

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The Torch of Freedom

Every year, around the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung invites leading European representatives to discuss the future of a united Europe. “German reunification is also a European story,” emphasised Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Chair of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, in her welcome address, and promised: “We will never forget Hungary’s courageous contribution to German reunification.” Referring to the 1956 Hungarian Uprising, she quoted Konrad Adenauer: “The torch of freedom that Hungary lit in the satellite states will never be extinguished again” – and added: “We have seen sparks from this torch of freedom in Hungary this year.”

Nina Klingspor, CEO of Allianz Central Europe, also praised the Hungarian Government’s reform programme in her opening address. Referring to Allianz Hungary, which was founded in 1986, she emphasised: “Anyone investing for the long term needs stable framework conditions.” She expressly welcomed the release of EU funds and plans to introduce the euro.

"Politics is ultimately about people"

Péter Magyar focused his speech on how lost trust in politics can be restored: “Trust must become the foundation of a new European political philosophy.” Magyar delivered the speech in German – as an Erasmus student, he lived in Hamburg in 2002. He argued that Europe is under threat from both within and without – and that one of the most dangerous forms of hybrid warfare is “when democratic communities turn their emotions against one another”.

Magyar reported that during his Hungarian election campaign he had travelled around the country to listen first-hand to people’s hardships and concerns: "I personally shook hands with more than 100,000 people.” In doing so, he often heard “things that were uncomfortable for us too".

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Péter Magyar (Prime Minister of Hungary) in conversation with Miriam Hollstein (Deputy Head of the Politics Desk at BILD).

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Volker Hassemer (Former Member of the Berlin House of Representatives), Prof. Dr. Hans-Gert Pöttering (Former President of the European Parliament), Prof. Dr. Norbert Lammert (Honorary Chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation) and the participants of the Makerthon 2026 in the audience.

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Péter Magyar (Prime Minister of Hungary) talks to Miriam Hollstein (Deputy Head of the Politics Desk at BILD) about the secret to his success.

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International audience in the Allianz Forum in Berlin.

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Prof. Dr. Norbert Lammert (Honorary Chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation) in conversation.

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Péter Magyar (Prime Minister of Hungary) is being greeted by Dolors Montserrat (General Secretary of the EPP).

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Discussion with Nina Klingspor (CEO of Allianz Central Europe)

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Péter Magyar (Prime Minister of Hungary) and Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (Chairwoman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation) at the 17th State of Europe.

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Strengthening Europe’s economic, technological and geopolitical clout

"We can be proud of our cultural heritage. But if we lose our economic, technological and geopolitical clout, it will become increasingly difficult to protect that heritage," Magyar warned. Europe must align its climate protection ambitions with its competitiveness. In this regard, Europe’s dependence on energy imports is a key reason for the continent’s vulnerability. Referring to the low water levels of the Danube, which threatened Hungary’s energy supply last summer, Magyar called for the water issue to be made a strategic priority at the European level.

At the same time, Magyar warned against transferring too many policy areas from the nation states to the EU level: "Where local knowledge and local responsibility are crucial, we should allow nations the freedom to act." With regard to European migration policy, he described a review of EU legislation as "essential".

"Try to be honest"

"Hungary is back," Magyar emphasised in the subsequent conversation with Miriam Hollstein, deputy head of politics at BILD. When asked what the secret of his success was, he explained that he had already been asked this question on several occasions by various heads of state and government. The answer is simple: "Try to be honest." Problems must be named clearly. Most people are fed up with ideological disputes: "They would like to talk on energy prices, on jobs, on other very important issues." He hopes Germany will show "time and patience." He took office to implement his election programme and will now work through it step by step.

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Discussions at the information booths of the partners and supporters of the State of Europe.

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Adriana Castellanos Gomez presents the narrative “Team Europe” from the KAS Makerthon Europe 2026.

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Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (Chairwoman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation), Péter Magyar (Prime Minister of Hungary) and Nina Klingspor (CEO of Allianz Central Europe) listening to the presentations of the KAS Makerthon Europe 2026. – from left to right

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Ben Sheehan presents his group’s narrative on the “European Way of Life” from the KAS Makerthon Europe 2026.

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Alicja Dryja introduces the narrative “Captain Europe” from the KAS Makerthon Europe 2026.

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Participants of the KAS Makerthon Europe 2026

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A round of applause for the young Europeans of the KAS Makerthon Europe 2026.

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The young participants of the KAS Makerthon Europe 2026 on the stage of the Allianz Forum.

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Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (Chairwoman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation), Péter Magyar (Prime Minister of Hungary), Nina Klingspor (CEO of Allianz Central Europe) – from left to right

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Adriana Castellanos Gomez’s pitch wins the audience vote at the KAS Makerthon Europe 2026.

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KAS Makerthon Europe

Beforehand, four young Europeans presented inspiring narratives on the European Way of Life, which their groups had developed as part of the creative ideas competition KAS Makerthon Europe. In a live vote, the audience chose the narrative ‘Team Europe’ as the winner: it describes Europe as a big football team. "Imagine Florian Wirtz, Haaland, Lamine Yamal and Mbappé all playing on the same pitch, representing different corners of Europe," said the spokesperson for the winning team, Adriana Castellanos Gómez, concluding: "Fair play is Europe’s game."

The State of Europe was realised in cooperation with Allianz SE and the European Academy Berlin.