How the Civil Society Leaders Must Update Their Plans To Match the EU Defence Posture Challenge

This debate will explore how “defence” can serve as a strategic lens for civil society action, political advocacy and community resilience.

Join our public debate in Warsaw on 28 October at 16:00-17:15 CET at Res Publica Foundation, Gałczyńskiego 5, Warsaw.

The times have changed, revealing gaps in democratic security strategies, and civil society strategies must adapt. In an era of rising geopolitical tensions, hybrid threats and information warfare, civil society and political activists face new challenges in safeguarding common European Union (EU) values while supporting a credible defence posture.

How can “defence” serve as a strategic lens for civil society action, political advocacy and community resilience? How can civic strategies, national and EU policy landscape, evolve to remain effective and defensible in uncertain times?

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Drawing on concrete scenarios from our latest report to illustrate potential risks, blind spots and missed opportunities, we will also assess what is at stake if Europe fails to use this moment

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Speakers:
Goran Buldioski – Senior Fellow at the Hertie School.  He supports the Office of the President in designing and developing new initiatives on democracy, and contributes to Executive Education programs, focusing on the rule of law and EU policy.

Maia Mazurkiewicz – President of the PZU Foundation, co-founder of Alliance4Europe, and host of the program “Anatomy of Disinformation” on TVP World. An expert in countering disinformation and communication. 

Moderator:
Wojciech Przybylski – Political analyst heading Visegrad Insight’s policy foresight on European affairs. Editor-in-Chief of Visegrad Insight and President of the Res Publica Foundation.

The discussion will present key takeaways from the upcoming Visegrad Insight report, which contributes to deliberations on four forthcoming EU policy initiatives: the EU Democracy Shield, the EU Civil Society Strategy, the EU Preparedness Strategy, and the next Multiannual Financial Framework. Drawing on scenario-driven workshops held in spring 2025, the report distils strategic foresight from across Central Europe to propose actionable recommendations for Europe’s democratic future. 

This is also a part of the European Commission’s Citizens, Equality, Rights, and Values (CERV) programmes, and involved a Visegrad Insight-led 3-year engagement across Central and Eastern Europe: EU Values Foresight homepage.

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