On 4 March 2026, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) organised a roundtable event entitled 'Konrad Adenauer at 150: The Thought of Europe'. Held at the Grand Hotel in central Stockholm, the event convened eighteen experts, political decision-makers, and think tankers from across the Nordic and Baltic countries. The discussion sought to revisit Adenauer's enduring vision for Europe – one grounded in reconciliation, economic integration, and unity, particularly through Franco-German cooperation – at a time when “Europe is once again standing at a decisive turning point in its destiny” (K. Adenauer, 1948). Against this backdrop, participants reflected on the challenges currently shaping Europe’s political, economic, and security landscape.
Stefano Braghiroli (Associate Professor of European Studies, Tartu University) and Ludvig Broomé (Swedish Institute of International Affairs [Utrikespolitiska Institutet], Sweden) opened the discussion with brief introductory remarks. Mr. Braghiroli examined the concept of resilience in depth, noting that European resilience currently resembles a form of survival mode rather than a policy framework. At the same time, he noted that despite these shortcomings, the European Union remains the primary structure sustaining European stability, particularly as growing isolationist tendencies in the United States are shaking the foundations of the transatlantic relationship and in turn those of the EU. From a defense perspective, Mr. Broomé emphasized that the main obstacles to deeper cooperation at EU level lie with the member states themselves. Diverging threat perceptions across the union continue to generate friction and complicate collective action. In response, he advocated a pragmatic approach that recognizes and integrates these differences rather than attempting to eliminate them.
The roundtable provided a valuable opportunity to exchange perspectives on the future of the European peace project once envisioned by Adenauer. In his opening remarks, Ludger Siemes (Germany’s ambassador to Sweden) observed that anyone engaged in European politics today is, in many respects, “standing on Adenauer’s shoulders.” Adenauer had already warned of the potential for growing selfishness on the part of the United States and of increasing tensions between global powers during times of crisis. Participants broadly agreed that while Europe rests on strong institutional and political foundations, it may lack the capacity to sustain long-term innovation and internal modernization. The discussion also raised the question of whether Europe is gradually shifting from an economic union towards a more explicit ‘security union’, and whether such a transformation might ultimately challenge the original vision of the European project as a peace-building endeavor.
The KAS Nordic Countries’ team would like to thank all participants who joined us on March 4 for their valuable contributions and insights and looks forward to deepening the discussion about Europe at future events.