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Europe's Defence in Debate

Mapping the Europe-Wide Discourse on Defence Policy Amid Eroding Transatlantic Relations

Neuer Termin: 23.03.2026 - 25.03.2026

Thema

Following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, a „Zeitenwende“ occurred not only in Germany, but throughout Europe. Despite their different priorities and starting points, all European countries have initiated reforms to their security policies. Given the growing estrangement from the US under the Trump administration, there is now much talk of the need for a ‚Zeitenwende 2.0‘. The argument is that the era of the US as the essential guarantor of security is coming finally and once for all to an end after 80 years, and Europe must be urgently put in a position to defend itself alone.

This event follows the Chatham House Rule. The working language of the seminar is English.

Montag, 23.03.2026
17:30 Uhr
Bus Shuttle from Wunstorf train station

for travelers by plane, individual shuttles will be organized

18:15 Uhr
Arrival and Check-in

18:30 Uhr
Welcome Dinner

19:30 Uhr
Welcome Adress & Introduction

Thomas MÜLLER-FÄRBER, Protestant Academy Loccum

19:40 Uhr
KICK-OFF PANEL | „Zeitenwende 2.0“? How Europe’s Security is Perceived across the Continent in Times of Growing US-Estrangement

Yevhen HLIBOVYTSKY, Director of Frontier Institute and Supervisory board member at Suspilne (Ukrainian public service broadcast), Kyiv
Tuomas ISO-MARKKU, Senior Research Fellow, The European Union and Strategic Competition Program, Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA), Helsinki
Helga KALM, Deputy Director and Head of the Foreign Policy Program, International Center for Defence and Security (ICDS), Tallinn
Martin LAMMERT, Lieutenant Colonel, Future Analysis Unit, Bundeswehr Planning Office, Berlin

21:00 Uhr
Informal Get Together

Dienstag, 24.03.2026
08:30 Uhr
Breakfast

09:30 Uhr
PLENARY INTERJECTION | What’s in the Polls? Mapping the Topography of the European Defense Discourse

Pawel ZERKA, Senior Policy Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), Vence

10:15 Uhr
PANEL | 2029 – Or Even Earlier? How is a Potential Westward Aggression by Russia Discussed Across Europe?

Julia SOLDATIUK-WESTERVELD, Senior Research Fellow, Clingendael Institute, The Hague*
Witold RODKIEWICZ, Senior Fellow, Russian Department, Centre for Eastern Stud-ies, Warsaw

11:00 Uhr
Coffee & Tea Break (Bistro)

11:15 Uhr
Discussion continued

11:45 Uhr
PLENARY INTERJECTION | Christian Peace Ethics Revisited – What do European Churches Say about Defence Policy

Dirck ACKERMANN, Protestant Chaplaincy for the Bundeswehr and Co-Author of the Ethics Memorandum of the Evangelical Church in Germany (issued Nov 2025), Berlin

12:30 Uhr
Lunch

13:20 Uhr
Sight Seeing Tour Monastery (Meeting Point at the Reception)

15:00 Uhr
Coffee & Cake Break (at the Dining Hall)

15:30 Uhr
PLENARY INTERJECTION |Beside and Beyond “Zeitenwende”: What other Se-curity- & Peace-related Issues Are Urgent – Now and in the Future?

Lorenzo CONTI, Senior Policy Officer, European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO), Brussels
Simone WISOTZKI, Project Leader at the Research Department International Security, and Board Member at Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF), Frankfurt

16:30 Uhr
Coffee & Tea Break (Bistro)

16:45 Uhr
BREAKOUT SESSION (Part 1) | Crucial Issues for Current and Future Public Discourse on Defense Policy in Europe

-
Forum 1 | Conscription Reloaded: How is Military Service Debated in European Societies?

Andrea ELLNER, Senior Lecturer in Civil-Military Relations & Ethics, Department of Defence Studies, Kings College, London
Vassilis NEDOS, Diplomatic and Defense Editor, Kathimerini Newspaper, Athens
Julia WEIGELT, Journalist, Expert for Security Policy, Co-Host of the NDR Podcast “Streitkräfte & Strategien“, Hamburg

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Forum 2 | All for One, and One for All? How is the Discourse about Defence Solidarity and Leadership Across Europe in Times of Eroding US Commitment?

Jacopo BARIGAZZI, Senior Defense Correspondent at POLITICO Europe, Brussels
Tobias CREMER, MdEP (Social Democrats), Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Security and Defence, European Parliament, Brussels
Marcin TERLIKOWSKI, Head of Research Office, Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM), Warsaw

18:30 Uhr
Dinner

19:30 Uhr
LITERATUR SALON | „Der stille Krieg - Wie Autokraten Deutschland angreifen“

Reinhard BINGENER & Markus WEHNER (Journalists at the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and authors of “Der stille Krieg“ (Beck 2025), Frankfurt/Hannover

21:00 Uhr
Informal Get Together

*invited

Mittwoch, 25.03.2026
08:15 Uhr
Invitation to Morning Prayer

08:30 Uhr
Breakfast

09:15 Uhr
BREAKOUT SESSION (Part 2) | Crucial Issues for Current and Future Public Discourse on Defense Policy in Europe

-
Forum 3 | Guns vs Butter? How is the Financial Part of Europe’s Defense Reforms Discussed

Oliver CUSWORTH, Senior Policy Officer, EIB Security and Defence Office, European Investment Bank, Luxembourg
Ester SABATINO, Research Fellow for Defence and Military Analysis, Berlin Office, International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Berlin*

-
Forum 4 | Citizens’ Security IQ: Which Strategic Concepts Do We Need to Discuss Publicly and How?

Tobias FELLA, Senior Researcher at the Berlin office of the Institute for Peace Re-search and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg (IFSH), Berlin
Michael KNIEPEN, Head of Division, Strategy & Integrated Security, German Minis-try of Defence, Berlin
Roderich PARKES, Researcher, NATO Defence College, Rom

11:00 Uhr
Coffee & Tea Break (Bistro)

11:15 Uhr
OUTLOOK TALK | In Search of a Vision for European Defence

Tiia-Triin TRUUSA, Dean of the Baltic Defence College, Tartu*
Wolf-Jürgen STAHL, Major General and President of the Federal Academy for Secu-rity Policy, Berlin

12:30 Uhr
Farewell Lunch

13:15 Uhr
Bus Shuttle to Wunstorf train station

*invited

Mehr zum Thema

European defence faces many challenges. These range from a lack of critical military technologies to insufficient standardization, from deficient cooperation between defence industries to limited military manpower. However, even more important than these material challenges are the structure and dynamics of the social discourse on defence, both at the national level as well as between European societies. It is this discourse that is crucial for initiating and shaping defence policy reforms, as well as for determine their prospects of success – or their potential failure.

The goal of this conference, titeld “Europe’s Defence in Debate” is to assess the Europe-wide social discourse on defence policy issues, both within and between societies, at particularly contentious points. By bringing together scientists, think tankers, practitioners, and journalists from across Europe, the conference will explore the dynamics of integration and the stumbling blocks to closer European cooperation.

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Organisatorisches

Tagungsnummer

2606

Tagungsgebühren

Regulär
265€
Ermäßigt
185€

Die Tagungsgebühr beinhaltet Übernachtung, Verpflegung und Kostenbeitrag.
Für Auszubildende, Studierende, Freiwilligendienstleistende sowie Arbeitslose gilt die ermäßigte Gebühr nur bei Vorlage einer gültigen Bescheinigung VOR der Tagung.
Eine Reduzierung der Tagungsgebühr für eine zeitweise Teilnahme ist nicht möglich.

Stornierung

Bei einer Absage nach dem 12.03.2026 müssen wir Ihnen 50% der Tagungsgebühr in Rechnung stellen.
Bei einer Absage nach dem 18.03.2026 müssen wir Ihnen 100% der Tagungsgebühr in Rechnung stellen.
Bei nicht erfolgter Absage müssen wir die gesamte Tagungsgebühr in Rechnung stellen.

Zahlung

Bitte bezahlen Sie die Gebühren erst nach Erhalt einer Rechnung von uns.

Anreise

Informationen über die Anreise mit dem PKW oder der Bahn finden Sie hier

Es besteht eine direkte Verbindung zur Akademie mit dem Zubringerbus ab dem Bahnhof in Wunstorf.
Zur Akademie - Abholung am Bahnhof Wunstorf, Ausgang ZOB: 23.03.2026, 17:30 Uhr
Zum Bahnhof - Ankunft am Bahnhof Wunstorf (voraussichtlich): 25.03.2026, 13:50 Uhr

Bitte setzen Sie im Anmeldeformular bei gewünschter Mitfahrt im Zubringerbus die entsprechende Auswahl, da die Plätze begrenzt sind.