Can Europe Defend Itself? | World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026

Europe is facing urgent security gaps: recent airspace breaches have exposed vulnerabilities, while years of underinvestment, fragmentation and dependency have weakened the continent’s defence industrial base. At the same time, exposure in key sectors such as medicine, tech and energy underscores the need to strengthen resilience against external shocks. Is Europe willing to trade competitiveness and open market principles for greater strategic autonomy? Speakers: Mark Rutte, Karol Nawrocki, Nadia Calviño, Paul Hudson, Alexander Stubb, Sarah Kelly The 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum will provide a crucial space to focus on the fundamental principles driving trust, including transparency, consistency and accountability. This Annual Meeting will welcome over 100 governments, all major international organizations, 1000 Forum’s Partners, as well as civil society leaders, experts, youth representatives, social entrepreneurs, and news outlets. The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change. World Economic Forum Website ► http://www.weforum.org/ Facebook ►   / worldeconomicforum   YouTube ►    / wef   Instagram ►   / worldeconomicforum   X ►   / wef   LinkedIn ►   / world-economic-forum   TikTok ►   / worldeconomicforum   Flipboard ► https://flipboard.com/@WEF #Davos2026 #WorldEconomicForum #wef26