Following a welcome by Ambassador Pedro Serrano, ECFR Director Mark Leonard presented key ideas from his forthcoming book Surviving Chaos: Geopolitics When the Rules Fail. He was joined by ECFR Board Members Carl Bildt, Ivan Krastev, and Helle Thorning-Schmidt, with the conversation expertly chaired by Gideon Rachman of the Financial Times.
Speakers agreed that the world has moved beyond “disorder” into a deeper condition of “un-order”, where established rules are no longer simply challenged but increasingly irrelevant. This shift demands a fundamental rethink of Europe’s strategic approach.
Among the key takeaways, speakers highlighted:
The need for greater European agency across security, economic policy, and global influence, including urgent progress on the single market, defence capabilities, and investment in innovation.
The importance of faster decision-making, stronger internal cohesion, and a willingness to act with greater strategic autonomy.
The role of the EU–UK relationship, particularly in security and defence, reflecting shared interests in an increasingly unstable international environment.
The event concluded with a clear message: in a world of “un-order”, the answer lies in a more united, agile, and assertive Europe.