Norbert Röttgen in conversation with Mayssoun Zein Al Din

Europe is facing growing geopolitical pressure. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the systemic rivalry between the U.S. and China, crises in Europe’s immediate neighborhood, and new dependencies in energy, technology, infrastructure, and security make it clear: The European Union must fundamentally strengthen its political, economic, and security capabilities if it is to effectively represent its interests and values.

The era in which Europe could benefit from a largely stable international order is over. It is being replaced by a world of increasing power competition, in which influence, resilience, and strategic clarity are decisive. For Europe, this raises the question more urgently than ever: how does it intend to assert itself in such an order—as a political actor shaping events or as a spectator of global developments?

We would like to discuss this with Norbert Röttgen. As a prominent foreign policy expert, he will contextualize the key geopolitical shifts and analyze which political decisions are now necessary to strengthen Europe’s sovereignty. The focus will be on questions regarding the European Union’s capacity to act in the areas of foreign and security policy, the development of a robust European defense capability, how to address economic and technological dependencies, and Europe’s role in an increasingly multipolar world.

The debate will be followed by a discussion with the audience.