Resilience

NATO allies have pledged 1.5% of GDP to resilience – but good intentions aren't enough. A new paper by Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung EU | Global Dialogue and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) warns that without clear rules, the money risks disappearing into bureaucracy. The authors show how smart investments in energy, mobility, and supply chains can serve security and climate goals at once – and why getting this right is essential for credible European defence.

The world around Europe is changing fast. Geopolitical shifts are challenging the international order, Russia’s war in Ukraine has upset the European security architecture. And old alliances are no longer as reliable. Faced with these challenges Europe needs to step up. But are EU decision-making mechanisms fit for purpose? The current modus operandi mostly requires consensus among the 27 Member States resulting in a slow response rate. Recent crises have thus revived calls for a “European Security Council”, an idea that has been prominently advanced by European Commissioner Kubilius. At the same time, MEP Sergey Lagodinsky has put forward a detailed institutional proposal outlining legal pathways, governance models, and safeguards for democratic legitimacy. Watch the recording of our panel discussion with EU Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, MEP Sergey Lagodinsky, Dr. Rosa Balfour (Carnegie Europe) and Dr. Katharina Emschermann (Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung EU | Global Dialogue).