The European security architecture is under stress.
As suggested at the recent Munich Security Conference, the US-led international order is now "under destruction". Within defence and security circles across policy practice, think tanks and academia, the discussion is now on how to ensure a resilient – more independent - European security architecture. Yet, although the need for fundamental change is well understood and is reflected in an unprecedented level of activity to respond to Europe’s new security and defence needs, the reality is that constructing a new European security architecture is a herculean task.
The 2026 Florence Security Forum will focus on the state of the European security architecture, and the prospects for responding constructively to mounting security challenges and shifting geopolitical realities. The Forum aims to generate concrete proposals to ensure a resilient architecture that is fit for purpose in the rapidly changing and hugely demanding geopolitical context. The Forum asks which current security frameworks are working? Which are currently missing, underperforming or superfluous? We ask how to move from dependence on the United States to increased 'European' autonomy in a security architecture that allows its components to work together productively?
To address these questions, the Forum will zoom in on three recent fundamental shocks that have transformed the European security architecture. The first shock is the return of war to the European continent with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022; the second shock is the withdrawal of the United States from the liberal international order and the unravelling of long-established security practices; the third shock lies in the erosion of the rules-based trading order itself — as trade, technology, and supply chains have become tools of geopolitical leverage, exposing Europe’s strategic dependencies and vulnerabilities.
This is a closed event. If you wish to attend as an observer, please contact Ms Raquel Martinez Raquel.Martinezhernandez@eui.eu.