Event, Warsaw: Guns or butter? Why the EU Democracy Shield Needs Both

Can Europe converge on credible defence posture along with democratic and economic security, like Poland – among others – advocates? In this context what the new EU Democracy Shield initiative should entail?

The roundtable debate brought together leading experts, political analysts, and strategists to examine the intricate dynamics of contemporary elections in Poland, Germany, and France. The aim was to spark insightful discussions on how political campaigns must adapt to address these challenges and navigate an increasingly complex political and economic environment.

Additionally, the debate shared insights gathered during the dissemination of the Shielding European Democracy report by Visegrad Insight during meetings with politicians, decision-makers, representatives of European institutions, and leaders of think tanks in the Visegrad Group capitals, Berlin, Brussels, and Vienna earlier this month.

This discussion focused on European Union values and was funded within the framework of our project Strategic Foresight on EU Values and Democratic Security, supported by the European Commission’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV).