Registration
Opening of Conference
Tamás Boros, Executive Director, Equilibrium Institute, BudapestRéka Szemerkényi, Director of International Affairs, Equilibrium Institute; Former Ambassador of Hungary to the USA, Budapest
Keynote: One Year After - From the Decisions of the Washington Summit to the Expectations for the Hague Summit
One year after the Washington Summit’s decisions, what has NATO accomplished and what remains to be done? What does the enlargement with two new members mean for the security of the Alliance and what is the enlargement-impact for Finland and Sweden’s security? What to look for at the upcoming Hague Summit: renewing Alliance cohesion or growing friction, increase from 2% to 5%, strengthening or weakening of the support for Ukraine, what new arrangement with Ukraine would help ending the war anc bring security for all of Europe, what is the real impact of the new US administration’s rhetorics on European member states, and what is the way forward for NATO’s Partners?
KEYNOTE:
Boris Ruge, Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, NATO, Brussels
Tamás Vargha, State Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Hungary, Budapest
Zsolt Németh, Chairman, Foreign Affairs Committee, Hungarian National Assembly, Budapest
Opening Panel: Five Months After - The Strategic Priorities of the New US Administration and its Impacts for Europe and the Rest of the World
White House statements and messages unimaginable since World War Two have already led to momentous changes in strategic thinking in all members of the international system. Do they lead to fulfilling long awaited promise or will they result in peril for the new US administration in strategic challenges such as ending the war in Ukraine and managing China’s global impact? To containing, appeasing, or to giving in to Russia? To America’s power positions? Will transatlantic ties have a chance to strengthen allies or are they fraying under Washington’s shifting priorities? How will rivals and allies respond to Washington’s evolving playbook?
KEYNOTE:
Introduction: Robert Palladino, Chargé D’affaires, U.S. Embassy, Budapest
Keynote: Sebastian Gorka, Deputy Assistant to the President, Senior Director for Counterterrorism, National Security Council, Washington DC
Speakers:
James J. Carafano, Senior Counselor to the President and E.W. Richardson Fellow, Heritage Foundation, Washington DC
Jörn Fleck, Senior Director, Europe Center, Atlantic Council, Washington D.C.
Coffee Break
PANEL 1: Strategic Europe - Evolving Strategic Thinking and Developing Defence Capabilities - One Step Forward, Two Steps Back?
Organised Together with the WMCES
Europe on the rise - or on the brink? How has the kinetic conflict against Ukraine’s sovereignity reshaped European security policies and NATO’s strategic posture? With the Russian pressure not diminishing for Europe and internal fault lines persevering, Is Europe falling apart, or is a new, strategic Europe under formation? European defense identity and/or European Defense Capability - what are the challenges, consequences, and what are the chances, of having one, and of not having one? Enhancing Europe’s defence capabilities: cooperation with the US or go-it-alone?
KEYNOTE:
Video message:
Andrius Kubilius, Commissioner for Defense and Space, European Commission, Brussels
Speakers:
Matthew G. Boyse, Senior Fellow, Center on Europe and Eurasia, Hudson Institute, Washington D.C.
Tomi Huhtanen, Executive Director, Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, Brussels
Nico Lange, Senior Fellow, Zeitenwende-Initiative, Munich Security Conference
Moderator: Marek Matraszek, Chairman, CEC Group, Warsaw
Video message
Laurence Tubiana, Chief Executive Officer, European Climate Foundation, Paris
PANEL 2: Strategic Energy - From Politics to the Market, or From Market to Politics? Challenges and Game-changer Innovations
In the midst of the new geopolitical realities, how can governments and industries strike a balance between energy security, market-driven competition, and green transition priorities? What breakthrough innovations have the potential to redefine global energy security and sustainability in the coming decade? Is increasing energy efficiency becoming a key to long-term energy supply security, or will supply diversification keep precedence? How can new approaches to transatlantic business cooperation foster energy security and market efficiency while mitigating political, economic and strategic disruptions?
KEYNOTE:
Arnoldas Pikžirnis, Vice Minister for Energy, Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuania
Anikó Raisz, State Secretary for Environmental Affairs, Ministry of Energy, Budapest
Speakers:
Robbie Diamond, Founder, President and CEO, SAFE, Washington DC
Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Director, Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment and The Herbert and Joyce Morgan Fellow in Energy and Environmental Policy, Heritage Foundation, Washington DC
Dora Meredith, Director, Overseas Development Institute, ODI Europe, Brussels
Adam Sikorski, Energy Expert, Co-founder, UNIMOT Capital Group, Zawadzkie
Moderator: Maciej Filip Bukowski, Head, Energy and Resilience Program, Casimir Pulaski Foundation, Warsaw
KEYNOTE SPEECH
President Lech Walesa, Former President of Poland, Gdansk
Introduction: Fredo Arias-King, Associate, CASLA Institute, Prague
Lunch
PANEL 3: Strategic AI and Cybersecurity - From the Explosive Growth of Generative AI through Risks and Limitations?
AI is opening immense potential to businesses that noone should leave out on, but how to ensure best use of this new potential? What role for business, governments and international frameworks for secure and efficient use of AI? How has cybersecurity, a remaining constant threat to all organizations, individuals and governments, been impacted by AI? Can AI be set aside without losing great development opportunities of private and public interests? Can advanced technologies and integrated security platforms be made secure in the midst of growing geopolitical tensions and disruptive cyberattacks or is it a constant uphill battle?
KEYNOTE:
Szabolcs Szolnoki, Deputy State Secretary for Technology, Space and Defense Industry, Ministry for National Economy, Budapest
Speakers:
David Krasner, Book Author, Columnist, CEO, MCK Group IT, New Orleans
Vilma Misiukonienė, Board Member, Cyber Security Community Association, KSEA, Vilnius
Marta Poslad, Director, CEE & Transatlantic Public Policy, Google; Chairwoman of American Chamber of Commerce in Poland, Warsaw
PANEL 4: Strategic Balkans - From Bad to Worse?
Several countries of the Balkans have experienced massive new internal pressures with implications for the stability and security of the entire region. What regional consequences to expect from these domestic developments? How should Europe react to these new dynamics in the security landscape in the Western Balkans? What implications for Transatlantic security? What can contribute to the stability of the region amidst the competing pressures, priorities and impacts of Russia, China, and the EU?
KEYNOTE:
Amb. Mladen Andrlić, Ambassador of Croatia to Hungary, Budapest
Amb. Biljana Gutic-Bjelica, Ambassador of Bosnia-Hercegovina, Budapest
Speakers:
Odeta Barbullushi, Resident Professor, College of Europe, Tirana
Rumena Filipova, Chairperson, Institute for Global Analytics, Sofia
Valbona Zeneli, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Europe Center, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Washington DC
Parallel Workshops
#1 Strategic Space - The Geopolitics of Space: Cooperation, Competition, Confrontation - The New Space Race?
What is the role of Science and Space in the midst of the new geopolitical developments of the 21st century: are they domains of the global competition, becoming tools or global confrontation? Or can they be used as previously, as counterbalancing these and maintaining it as a domain of global cooperation? What legal and ethical challenges arise from space resource extraction and commercialization? How does the growing role of the private sector impact global space dynamics? What role if any, for Central-Eastern Europe in “the game of the big ones”?
Speakers:
Beata Daszynska-Muzyczka, Presidential Ambassador and Special Envoy for Three Seas Initiative; Chancellery of the President Duda, Warsaw
Orsolya Ferencz, Ministerial Commissioner for Space Research, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Budapest
Aaron Korewa, Director, Warsaw Office, Atlantic Council, Warsaw
Moderator: Mark Voyger, Senior Non-Resident Fellow, Center for European Policy Analysis; Director of the Master of Science Program in Global Management, American University, Kyiv
#2 Climate Change and Its Security Implications
From pressures for migration through increasing domestic instability to resource extraction and commercialization, what security implications to expect from the effects of climate change and how to manage them, how to react to them? What responsibilities for national governments, what role for European regulation, what tasks to international organizations do they necessitate to mitigate the unfolding security challenges?
Speakers:
Maciej Filip Bukowski, Head, Energy and Resilience Program, Casimir Pulaski Foundation, Warsaw
Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director and Head of the Prague Office, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, Prague
László Szabó, Director, REKK - Regional Centre for Energy Policy Research, Budapest
Moderator: Dóra Csernus, Director of Climate, Energy and Environmental Policy, Equilibrium Institute, Budapest
#3 Defence Industry: Musts and Must Nots
With Russia’s war against Ukraine and the new American administration’s evolving priorities, developing military capabilities has gained an unprecedented priority for European security. What defense industry decisions needs to follow suit from these external and internal pressures? Can transatlantic defence industry cooperation be strengthened in the face of internal tensions and declining trust and in the midst of emerging security threats, or are these leading towards a growing gap between the two sides of the Atlantic in this sphere too? What are the preconditions for developing European defense industry to make Europe capable to defend itself? National priorities and defense capabilities, and/or European security - what way ahead for Europe’s defence industry?
Speakers:
James J. Carafano, Senior Counselor to the President and E.W. Richardson Fellow, Heritage Foundation, Washington DC
Peter Flory, Senior Fellow, European Initiative for Energy Security, Former NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment, Washington DC, Brussels
Sylvie Matelly, Director, Institut Jacques Delors, Paris
Aleksander Olech, Head of International Cooperation, Defence 24, Warsaw
Amb. Dr. Christian Thorning, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark, Budapest
Moderator: Péter Siklósi, Senior Research Fellow, Hungarian Institute of International Affairs, Budapest
#4 From TTIP to a Euro-Atlantic War of Tariffs? Trans-atlantic Economic Cooperation, its Challengers and its Alternatives
Was TTIP, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, a proposed agreement between the EU and the US, a lost and the last opportunity to strengthen transatlantic business and economic ties? Are introducing and increasing tariffs the new normal in TA business and economic ties and if so, what are the consequences for the EU’s as well as for the US’ economy? How will tariffs hurt the European and American economies? Will they rock TA trade relations and will they push European businesses to turn to China as an alternative to TA trade, hampered by tariffs now? Is China the winner of TA tariffs by gaining economic positions in the European economies?
Speakers:
Krzysztof Błędowski, Visiting Adjunct Professor, University of Rzeszów, Rzeszów
Charles Lichfield, Deputy Director and C. Boyden Gray Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council, GeoEconomics Center, Washington DC
Bryan W. Roberts, Senior Economist, Devtech Systems, Washington DC
Howard J. Shatz, Senior Economist, RAND Corporation, Washington DC
Attila Szalay-Berzeviczy, Former President of the Budapest Stock Exchange, Budapest
Moderator: Isabelle Dupraz, Deputy Director, European Initiative for Energy Security, Brussels
#5 Russia and Europe, Russia and the World: New Relationships After the War in Ukraine?
Russia’s war against Ukraine has already resulted a new, strategic reading of the EU’s relations with Russia and new internal European dynamics. With the US weighing in for ending the war and Europe reprioritizing its strategic interests also for developing defence capabilities, what to expect in the EU-Russia relationship once the weapons get silenced? What options are open and with what consequences for achieving security for European states? What kind of a peace agreement should Europe support, and how can the most threatened Eastern flank countries contribute to security and stability? Or is it simply going to be back to business as usual?
Speakers:
Giorgio Cella Ph.D., Foreign Policy Analyst, Med-Or Foundation, Author of "Storia e geopolitica della crisi ucraina. Dalla Rus' di Kiev a oggi", Rome
Konstantin Eggert, MBE, Columnist and Programme Host, Deutsche Welle, Vilnius
Christina Catherine Krause, Head of Department, International Politics and Security Affairs, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Berlin
Vladimir Socor, Senior Fellow, The Jamestown Foundation, Washington DC
Moderator: András Rácz, Senior Fellow, German Council on Foreign Relations, Budapest
Coffee Break
PANEL 5: Strategic Indo-Pacific - The Return of Geopolitics?
Developments in the Indo-Pacific region of the world have never been more directly connected to Europe and transatlantic security than since Russia’s attack against Ukraine. What are the strategic consequences of the strengthening ties between Russia and China, what are the implications for the security of Taiwan and for NATO’s Partners in the Indo-Pacific? How has the new US administration’s statements been read by strategists in the Indo-Pacific? What role for Europeans? A European and/or an American Indo-Pacific-strategy or competing strategies?
KEYNOTE:
Amb. Kyudok Hong, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Hungary, Budapest
Speakers:
James J. Carafano, Senior Counselor to the President and E.W. Richardson Fellow, Heritage Foundation, Washington DC
Zoltán Fehér, Geostrategist, Nonresident Fellow, Global China Hub, Atlantic Council, Washington DC
Velina Tchakarova, Founder, Geopolitical Strategist, FACE For A Conscious Experience, Vienna
Michael Wesley, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Global Culture & Engagement, University of Melbourne, Melbourne
Moderator: Viktor Eszterhai, Research Fellow, John Lukacs Institute, Budapest
PANEL 6: Strategic Ukraine - How To End This War. Ukraine and the Future Transatlantic and European Security
Three years of ongoing war against Ukraine has brought many and often competing strategic readings of what Ukraine has achieved and what Russia has and intends to achieve. There are competing concepts of ending the war, and all have different consequences for Ukraine and as well as European and global security. What to support, how to promote sustainable peace, what frameworks to use? What security guarantees for Ukraine? What to expect regarding Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration and what consequences of these? How should reconstruction efforts be coordinated to ensure Ukraine’s economic and military resilience? What lessons has the international community learned from the ongoing war, and how do they shape future deterrence strategies?
KEYNOTE:
Péter Sztáray, Deputy Minister, State Secretary for Security Policy and Energy Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Budapest
Matthew Sussex, Visiting Fellow, ANU Strategic and Defence Studies Center, Canberra
Amb. Kurt Volker, Distinguished Fellow at Center for European Policy Analysis, Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Former Permanent Representative of the US on the North Atlantic Council, Washington DC
Speakers:
Carrie Filipetti, Executive Director, Vandenberg Coalition, Washington DC
Mark Voyger, Senior Non-Resident Fellow, Center for European Policy Analysis; Director of the Master of Science Program in Global Management, American University, Kyiv
Moderator: István Gyarmati, Secretary General, Hungarian Atlantic Council, President, ICDT, Budapest
Closing Keynote Panel: Strategic Central Europe: Becoming a New Player, Divided to Muddle Through, or Back to the Russian Sphere of Interest. A Region to Redefine Itself
How can Central Europe’s countries navigate the evolving security landscape and the growing geopolitical tensions in the Euro-Atlantic space? What strategic partnerships should Central Europe prioritize to reinforce transatlantic security and economic resilience? Can Central Europe grow into a key partner of the US foreign policy, or will it fall victim of the American focus on the Indo-Pacific? What role can Central European countries play in enhancing European security? Should and can Central Europe be considered as a region of common interests and strategies, or are countries following different strategies and what will be the impact of competing national priorities for regional security?
Speakers:
Amb. Dan Fried, Former US Ambassador to Poland, Weiser Family Distinguished Fellow, Atlantic Council, Washington DC
Michal Kurtyka, Former Minister, Casimir Pulaski Foundation, Warsaw
Krisztián Mészáros, Director for Partnerships, Political Affairs and Security Policy Division, NATO, Brussels
Márton Ugrósdy, Deputy State Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office, Budapest
Closing Remarks of the Day
Tamás Boros, Executive Director, Equilibrium Institute, BudapestRéka Szemerkényi, Director of International Affairs, Equilibrium Institute; Former Ambassador of Hungary to the USA, Budapest
Networking
Arrival and registration
First Session
#1 Women Leaders’ Breakfast - In Cooperation with HBLF, The Hungarian Business Leaders Forum
The Women Leaders' Breakfast aims to bring together accomplished female leaders from diverse sectors, fostering meaningful networking opportunities, encouraging the exchange of professional experiences, and providing access to valuable resources. The event offers a platform for inspiring discussions, building connections, and sharing insights. Participants can address challenges, share successes, and explore innovative solutions in a supportive environment, strengthening the community of women leaders and advancing their careers.
Introductory Remarks:
Amb. Borbála Czakó, President, HBLF Women Leaders Forum, Budapest
Andrea Istenes Solti, President of the Board, Shell Hungary; President, Hungarian Business Leaders Forum, Budapest
Discussants:
Amb. (r.) Bente Angell-Hansen, Member of Board, Global Preparedness Monitoring Board; Ambassador (r) of Norway, Oslo
H.E. Dirkje Elizabeth Bonis, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Hungary
H.E. Cavidan Gülsen Karanis Eksioglu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Türkiye to Hungary
Susan Hutchison, Former Chairman, Washington State Republican Party, Washington DC
Sylvie Matelly, Director, Jacques Delors Institute, Paris
Marta Poslad, Director,* CEE & Transatlantic Public Policy, Google; Chairwoman of American Chamber of Commerce in Poland, Warsaw
Anita Orbán, Public Affairs & ESG Director, Vodafone Group, London
#2 The Future of NATO - In Cooperation with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
Amid Ukraine's war, rising global tensions, and Trump's return, NATO's security role debates intensified. The Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation launched a study analyzing the debate on NATO and its future in selected member countries, Russia, China, and Ukraine. It examines threat perceptions, Ukraine war implications, and NATO's systemic challenges. The study will be published in June 2025; at the workshop we offer a preview of the results and discuss their implications.
Speakers:
Peer Teschendorf, European Foreign and Security Policy Officer, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Bonn
Péter Siklósi, Senior Research Fellow, Hungarian Institute of International Affairs, Budapest
#3 Food Supply and Security - In Cooperation with the European Climate Foundation
The impact of the climate crisis on food security - rising prices, disappearing products, land lost to agriculture in Hungary and across the world. What do we need to do to ensure we have enough and affordable food in the future?
Speakers:
Anna Hőgyész, Sustainability Manager, Nestlé Hungária Ltd., Budapest
Mariann Molnár, Adjunct Professor, The University of British Columbia, Budapest
Coffee Break
Second Session
#1 Young Atlanticists - In Cooperation with NATO PDD
The Young Atlanticists workshop, co-organized with NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division, aims to engage young Hungarian Atlanticists interested in NATO, security, and defense policies. This dynamic platform fosters dialogue, offering participants the opportunity to showcase their ideas and research. During the workshop, students selected based on an essay writing competition will have the privilege of presenting their work directly to senior NATO representatives, gaining invaluable feedback and exposure to high-level policymakers.
Speakers:
Dragoș F. Manea, Political Affairs Officer, Political Affairs and Security Policy Division, NATO, Brussels
Krisztián Mészáros, Director for Partnerships, Political Affairs and Security Policy Division, NATO, Burussels
Balázs Tárnok, Director of Research, John Lukacs Institute, Ludovika University Public Service, Budapest
#2 Securing Europe’s Supply Chains for Critical Sectors - In Cooperation with the European Initiative for Energy Security
Europe’s transition to a minerals-based economy faces geopolitical instability, supply chain disruptions, and market distortions. Securing critical raw materials is vital for clean technology leadership, but reliance on China and low-standard imports threatens energy and defence systems. Re-shoring extraction, processing, and recycling, alongside trade defences, high-standard production, and regulated joint ventures, is crucial. This discussion will unite European and U.S. leaders to address standards, traceability, and transparency for a secure energy transition.
Introductory Remarks:
Isabelle Dupraz, Deputy Director, European Initiative for Energy Security, Brussels
Keynote:
Attila Steiner, State Secretary for Energy and Climate Policy, Ministry of Energy, Budapest
Speakers:
Attila Holoda, CEO, Aurora Energy, Budapest
Péter Siklósi, Senior Research Fellow, Hungarian Institute of International Affairs, Budapest
#3 Energy and Domestic Investment Challenges in Central Europe: From Decarbonisation to the Green Transition - In Cooperation with EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy
Central Europe’s shift to a just and green energy transition faces social and economic inequalities, regional disparities, and infrastructure challenges. Decarbonisation efforts must address coal-dependent regions, income gaps limiting access to energy-saving solutions, and urban-rural divides in transport and housing. This roundtable, led by the EUROPEUM Institute and 21Research Centre’s JustGreen consortium, will explore public perceptions, best practices in housing renovations, and policy solutions for a fair transition. Engaging Central European stakeholders, it will discuss urgent challenges and local-level strategies to ensure equity in the green transition.
Introductory Remarks:
Silke Maes, Research Fellow, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, Prague
Representative of the 21 Research Centre
Coffee Break
Third Session
#1 “Security Radar 2025”: Threat perceptions and attitudes on security challenges in 14 countries - In Cooperation with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung’s “Security Radar 2025” is the fourth edition of a public opinion poll that surveys citizens’ views on foreign and security policy issues across fourteen European countries, with this year’s focus on the war in Ukraine and Europe’s response. We will present and discuss the major findings of this survey in the workshop.
Speakers:
Alexandra Dienes, Senior Researcher, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Bonn
Attila Demkó, Head of the Strategic Foresight Program, John Lukacs Institute, Ludovika University of Public Service, Budapest
#2 China and Europe: Partnership or Dependence - In Cooperation with the Atlantic Council
Since 2017, the U.S. has viewed China as its primary competitor, while the EU has been slower to adopt a firm stance. To counter China’s influence, the U.S. must understand how U.S.-China rivalry, U.S. global engagement uncertainty, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and China’s challenge to EU competitiveness shape EU security and China policies under Trump’s second term. This roundtable, under Chatham House rules, will convene experts to discuss Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, and EU China policies, contributing to the Atlantic Council’s project on European policies and U.S. strategy for transatlantic unity.
Speakers:
Zoltán Fehér, Geostrategist, Nonresident Fellow, Global China Hub, Atlantic Council, Washington DC
Valbona Zeneli, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Europe Center, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Washington DC
Networking
*Confirmed