Bringing together academics, policymakers, and military representatives, the Democratizing Security Working Group explores how European societies can strengthen public trust and democratic legitimacy in security and defence policy.
How can European societies build broad-based support for security and defence policies in an era of war, disinformation, and growing political polarization? The Democratizing Security Working Group brings together academic experts, policy practitioners, and military representatives to rethink how security is debated, understood, and communicated across Europe.
This closed working meeting launches a multi-stage dialogue aimed at fostering a more inclusive and transparent European security culture. With a comparative focus on Austria, Italy, Lithuania, and Poland — countries with distinct security traditions but shared exposure to societal polarization and foreign information manipulation — the discussions examine how security threats are framed and how defence priorities are financed and justified in democratic societies. The meeting is structured around two thematic sessions: one addressing the articulation and perception of contemporary security threats, and the other examining defence financing and public legitimacy. Designed as an open, moderated exchange under the Chatham House Rule, the working group seeks to map key challenges, identify shared vulnerabilities, and develop a common analytical framework for future policy-oriented discussions.
The event is co-organised by the European University Institute within the framework of the European Union Security Initiative (EUSI), the International Institute for Peace (IIP), Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), the Polish Academy of Sciences, and partner institutions from the European security and defence community. The outcomes of this meeting feed directly into the subsequent public dialogue hosted in Vienna in January 2026.