{"id":450916,"date":"2025-09-25T17:48:22","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T17:48:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/450916\/"},"modified":"2025-09-25T17:48:22","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T17:48:22","slug":"europe-future-forum-grapples-with-enlargement-amid-economic-perils-%e2%8b%86-visegrad-insight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/450916\/","title":{"rendered":"Europe Future Forum Grapples with Enlargement Amid Economic Perils \u22c6 Visegrad Insight"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the shadow of Russian drone incursions and a fracturing global trade order, the Europe Future Forum<\/a> 2025 kicked off in Warsaw last week, blending high-stakes foresight with a clarion call for EU enlargement as the ultimate bulwark against economic insecurity.<\/p>\n

Organised by the Res Publica Foundation and Visegrad Insight in partnership with Poland\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the annual confab drew 150 top brass from governments, think tanks, and finance across the bloc and beyond \u2014 all united in the quest for a \u2018whole, free, and secure\u2019 Europe, as one speaker put it.<\/p>\n

\"\"EuropeFuture.Forum 2025<\/p>\n

Held from 15-17 September at the heart of Central Europe, the forum\u2019s opening salvos underscored how EU expansion isn\u2019t just a bureaucratic box-ticking exercise but a strategic lifeline. With Ukraine\u2019s war raging and China\u2019s overcapacities looming, speakers hammered home the message: welcoming new members from the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership could turbocharge Europe\u2019s resilience, fusing democratic values with economic muscle to counter authoritarian rivals.<\/p>\n

Guns, butter and budgets: The economic security imperative<\/p>\n

Magda Jakubowska, the forum\u2019s convener and Visegrad Insight\u2019s editorial director, set the tone with a rallying cry for \u2018bold actions\u2019 on technological sovereignty, defence funding, and energy transitions. \u2018Economic security is no longer a question; it\u2019s a survival strategy,\u2019 she declared, nodding to the post-2027 multiannual financial framework (MFF) as the make-or-break arena for an enlarged EU. Her remarks, echoed in several other discussions throughout the Forum highlighted the forum\u2019s emphasis on Central and Eastern European voices \u2014 a deliberate pivot to ensure \u2018balanced views\u2019 in a bloc often dominated by Western capitals.<\/p>\n

\"\"EuropeFuture.Forum 2025<\/p>\n

Linda Kapustov\u00e1-Helbichov\u00e1, executive director of the International Visegrad Fund \u2014 celebrating this year its 25th anniversary and strategic partner of the Forum \u2014 doubled down on regional synergy. Quoting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, she dismissed V4 paralysis, positioning the fund as a bridge-builder for EU hopefuls. The aim is to reflect both expectations and readiness for EU accession from our Eastern and Southern neighbours.<\/p>\n

\"\"EuropeFuture.Forum 2025<\/p>\n

Wojciech Przybylski, president of the Res Publica Foundation and Visegrad Insight\u2019s editor-in-chief, reframed the age-old \u2018guns or butter\u2019 dilemma as \u2018guns and butter.\u2019 Invoking historical lessons from the Cold War, he argued that linking security spending to trade and public buy-in could \u2018corner populism\u2019 and rally disenchanted voters. \u2018Budgets are statements of our values,\u2019 he intoned, urging a revamped MFF to reflect enlargement\u2019s dual promise: bolstering defence while delivering prosperity. His words resonated in forum-linked podcasts, where experts dissected how new members could inject fresh dynamism into Europe\u2019s sluggish growth model.<\/p>\n

\"\"EuropeFuture.Forum 2025
\nSecurity wake-up call: From drones to alliances<\/p>\n

Polish MEP Micha\u0142 Szczerba, a foreign affairs committee member, brought the geopolitical heat, detailing 19 Russian airspace violations in recent days \u2014 including a drone crash perilously close to a NATO airbase. \u2018Alliances matter,\u2019 he thundered, slamming potential US-Moscow backroom deals and calling for ramped-up air defences, joint procurement, and Ukraine\u2019s integration into Europe\u2019s defence industrial base.<\/p>\n

\"\"EuropeFuture.Forum 2025<\/p>\n

\u2018Supporting Ukraine today is the best investment in Europe\u2019s defence tomorrow,\u2019 Szczerba asserted. He tied this directly to enlargement, advocating simplified EU funding for Polish-led initiatives like East Shield to fortify the bloc\u2019s eastern flank.<\/p>\n

Pawe\u0142 \u015awieboda, senior fellow at the European Policy Centre and co-director of the Brussels Economic Security Forum, delivered the inspirational keynote, dissecting the \u2018end of globalism\u2019 without descending into doom-mongering.<\/p>\n

\"\"EuropeFuture.Forum 2025<\/p>\n

He warned of bifurcated trade \u2014 US tariffs slowing one lane while Asia races ahead \u2014 and urged Europe to \u2018build strength inside out\u2019 through AI productivity boosts and critical raw materials diversification. \u2018Economic security post-2025 will need to be about much more than risks; the very vibrancy of our model is at stake,\u2019 he said, pushing for reinvented partnerships with like-minded allies to counter China\u2019s overcapacities. His call for a geo-industrial edge in EU ties aligned with forum chatter in a number of closed door sessions where deeptech discussions spotlighted enlargement as a catalyst for innovation hubs in new members.<\/p>\n

Enlargement as Europe\u2019s ace card<\/p>\n

Threaded throughout was the forum\u2019s core pitch: EU enlargement isn\u2019t a luxury but a necessity for navigating economic turbulence. With candidates like Ukraine and the Western Balkans in the wings, speakers portrayed expansion as a multiplier for security and growth \u2014 integrating defence industries, diversifying supply chains, and amplifying Central Europe\u2019s clout in Brussels. As Visegrad Insight\u2019s site notes, the event fosters \u2018comprehensive dialogue\u2019 on this front, with foresight sessions drilling into policy innovations.<\/p>\n

Yet, challenges loomed large: funding shortfalls, hybrid threats, and US unpredictability under Trump. As one attendee quipped on LinkedIn, it\u2019s \u2018time for Europe to step up\u2019 \u2014 a sentiment echoing broader many other conferences in the region. If Warsaw\u2019s gathering is any indicator, the path to a bigger, bolder EU hinges on marrying enlargement\u2019s promise with ironclad economic defences.<\/p>\n

Stay tuned for more recaps from specific panel discussions and visit the Europe Future Forum website<\/a> to learn more.<\/p>\n

_<\/p>\n

Strategic Partners: International Visegrad Fund
Honorary Patronage: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Poland, Ministry of Development and Technology of the Republic of Poland
Platinum Partner: MHP
Content Partner: Polish Development Fund (PFR)
Gold Partners: BGK Polish Development Bank, Zalando
Partners: OECD, CEU Democracy Institute, EUROPEUM, Slovak Foreign Policy Association (SFPA)<\/p>\n

Photos by Mariusz Bodnar and Pawe\u0142 Konarzewski.<\/p>\n

Click the banner to register for the events\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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