“Europe at a Crossroads”: A high-level dialogue to explore forward-looking strategies for Europe’s future

On 19 and 20 February, in Athens, the high-level event “Europe at a Crossroads” was hosted by the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) as part of its think nea – New Narratives of EU Integration initiative, co-organised by Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Greece & Cyprus.

The high-level policy dialogue brought together policymakers, diplomats, and academics to reflect on the EU’s future amid growing geopolitical and geo-economic pressures.

On Thurday, 19 February, opening remarks by Loukas Tsoukalis highlighted the need for a deep strategic recalibration of the EU, while the keynote address by René Troccaz underlined enlargement as a key tool for stability and security.

The discussion, moderated by Ioannis Armakolas, focused on the institutional and political conditions for successful EU enlargement, and concluded with closing remarks by Elena Lazarou, emphasizing the alignment of Europe’s geopolitical strategy with EU values.

On 20 February, the event continued with a closed workshop under the Chatham House Rule, structured around three thematic policy discussions focusing on Europe’s strategic challenges and future direction.

The first panel, “Europe at a Crossroads: Reforming Institutions,” examined the EU’s capacity to adapt institutionally in order to strengthen competitiveness and economic sovereignty amid geopolitical turbulence. The discussion was introduced by Karel Lannoo (Centre for European Policy Studies) and Spyros Blavoukos (ELIAMEP / Athens University of Economics & Business), and moderated by Elena Lazarou.

The second panel, “Power in Unity: How can the Western Balkans’ Accession to the EU Strengthen Europe’s Strategic Autonomy,” focused on enlargement as a strategic asset for Europe’s security and resilience. Kick-off remarks were delivered by Vessela Tcherneva (ECFR) and Ana Krstinovska (ELIAMEP / ESTIMA), with moderation by Nikolaos Tzifakis (University of the Peloponnese / Wilfried Martens Centre).

The final panel, “Future-Proofing Europe in a World of Shifting Geopolitics,” explored Europe’s global role, transatlantic relations, and strategic partnerships. Introductory contributions were made by Ian Lesser (The German Marshall Fund of the United States) and Philippe Perchoc (IRSEM-Europe), and the discussion was moderated by Ioannis Armakolas.

The workshop brought together senior officials, ambassadors, academics, and policy experts, including representatives from European and national institutions, diplomatic missions, and leading think tanks, as reflected in the official list of participants and affiliations.

Please find a list of international participants here.