EFA25 Panorama

Panorama: A Magazine of the European Forum Alpbach

August 2025

Mehr Zeit für das, was zählt.

Othmar Karas President

Feri Thierry Secretary General

2025 EDITORIAL

Welcome to Alpbach!

In 2025 – 80 years after the end of the Second World War – Europe once again faces profound challenges. From the climate crisis to democratic erosion, the need for dialogue, courage and collaboration is greater than ever.

This year’s theme Recharge Europe calls on us not only to reflect, but to reimagine. How can Europe lead with purpose in a rapidly changing world? Alpbach remains a place for ideas that connect, challenge and inspire. It is a place to pause – and to recharge.

We’re glad you’re here.

Recharge Europe 80 years after the end of the Second World War, Europe is at a turning point. The values that shaped the post-war order – democracy, human rights, rule of law, and social market economies – are increasingly under pressure. Today’s world is marked by rapid technological change, geopolitical fragmentation, and a deepening ecological crisis. In a global race for influence, innovation and resources, Europe is facing the challenge of how to move beyond the preservation of past achievements. What is needed is a forward-looking model that is both competitive and value-driven.

The thematic tracks of EFA25 address four key challenges that will affect Europe’s ability to adapt, lead, and inspire in a rapidly changing world.

Security Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, instability in Europe’s neighbourhood, and the weakening of global governance are challenging the foundations of the European security architecture. As global power competition intensifies and new blocs emerge, Europe must assert itself strategically. This will require strengthening strategic sovereignty, enhancing defence capabilities, and reducing critical dependencies. Reaffirming Europe’s role in an increasingly competitive world and progressing towards a European Defence Union will contribute to the continent’s security, prosperity, and resilience.

Democracy and the Rule of Law Democracy is in decline across the globe. Within Europe, polarisation, disinformation, and growing mistrust in institutions are fuelling authoritarian tendencies. Strengthening democratic systems requires more than protection – it demands innovation, inclusion, and credibility. Upholding the rule of law, supporting independent media, and ensuring meaningful civic participation are essential for rebuilding trust. Alliances of democratic states, civil society, and experts will be key to safeguarding open societies in a digital age.

Finance & Economy Europe’s economy is under increasing strain. Geopolitical instability, technological shifts, and the demands of the green and digital transitions are testing already fragile structures. Persistent challenges such as low growth, demographic pressures, and stagnant productivity further jeopardise long-term prosperity. Strengthening competitiveness, mobilising sustainable finance, and boosting innovation are crucial for ensuring economic resilience and maintaining Europe’s global relevance.

Climate Climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution are the defining crises of the 21st century. Europe has committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2050, yet implementation is lagging. As the political focus shifts and the pace of transformation slows, the urgent need for renewed unity and ambition becomes apparent. Cross-sector collaboration, citizen engagement and bold investment in green innovation will be essential. The transition must become a foundation of resilience, leadership and opportunity.

80 Years of Driving Change for Europe

1945–1955

The Beginnings

In 1945, the Forum was born as an intellectual counter-movement to fascism and authoritarianism. Visionaries such as Karl Popper and EFA founders Otto Molden and Simon Moser laid the groundwork for a peaceful, open, and educated Europe.

In the summer of 1945, just weeks after the end of the Second World War, a group of intellectuals, students, artists, and scientists gathered in a remote Alpine village to ask a simple but radical question: What kind of Europe do we want to live in?

Out of the ruins of war and amid deep political uncertainty, the European Forum Alpbach was born — a space for critical thought, democratic ideals, and hope. Its founding vision was clear: a peaceful, open, and educated Europe.

80 years later, Alpbach is no longer just a conference. It is a living network. A place for ideas. A catalyst for change. 80 years of European Forum Alpbach is not simply a celebration of the past. It is a renewed call to imagine and co-create the future of Europe.

The Free State of Artopia

In 1979, artists André Heller, Gustav Peichl, and Horst G. Haberl declared part of Alpbach a symbolic micro-nation with its own borders and parliament. This artistic intervention paved the way for the EFA’s ongoing cultural programme, transforming the village into a space where art, politics, and society intersect in public, participatory dialogue.

1970s

When Art Took the Stage

The Forum embraced experimentation. Artists like André Heller transformed parts of Alpbach into ‘Artopia’ – a poetic micro-state with its own parliament and playful laws. Art became a democratic disruptor, shaping the Forum’s Arts & Culture programme to this day.

©

Photo: EFA Archive, Matteo Vegetti

Alpbach in Motion (AiM)

Since 2013, AiM has brought together up to 40 young professionals from across Europe for a week of peer learning, experimentation, and leadership development every year – nurturing a new generation ready to tackle complex challenges and shape Europe’s future.

The Mayors’ Initiative on Migration

In 2015, over 100 mayors gathered in Alpbach to address the refugee crisis through shared experience and practical exchange. The result was a widely distributed handbook of best practices and a network of support for humane, community-based integration across Austria.

1990s

From Local Action to Global Responsibility

The refugee crisis of 2015 brought over 100 mayors to Alpbach to share practical solutions. Their initiative became a model for peer-led cooperation. Meanwhile, Alpbach in Motion began equipping a new generation of European changemakers with leadership skills through collaborative leadership labs.

2010s

Meeting Point in a Changing Continent

After the fall of the Iron Curtain, Alpbach became a rare space for East-West dialogue. Dissidents, diplomats, and emerging leaders from across Central and Eastern Europe helped reimagine the future. In 1997, young scholarship holders launched the Forum Alpbach Network – now with over 30 clubs in 21 countries – extending the spirit of Alpbach across Europe and beyond.

Forum Alpbach Network (FAN)

Founded in 1997, FAN links EFA alumni in over 30 clubs across 21 countries. These grassroots initiatives organise events throughout the year, spreading Alpbach’s spirit of critical thought, civic engagement, and European cooperation far beyond the Forum itself.

2020s

System Change in Practice

In an age of overlapping crises, the Forum has shifted towards systemic thinking. With formats such as Europe in the World Days and Lab Days, Alpbach offers deepdive conversations and co-creative spaces. Launched in 2022, the 10x100 Lab brings together pioneers from climate, food, health, and urban development – testing solutions in cities like Mannheim.

10x100 Lab

The 10x100 Lab connects actors from climate, food, health, and urban policy to test system-wide solutions in cities such as Mannheim. Its goal: build resilient, scalable practices for climate protection and cross-sector collaboration in metropolitan regions in Europe.

80 Ideas for Europe

Concrete Answers to Europe’s Toughest Questions

To mark its 80th anniversary, the European Forum Alpbach launched a Europe-wide open call for ideas. From all submissions, 80 were selected –innovative, actionable concepts for a more resilient, just, and democratic Europe.

MADASTER

UNFRAMED

CLIMATE DEMOCRACY

A digital platform to turn building data into a resource for the circular economy

W. Weingraber, Madaster

MINTORING

A STEM mentoring programme where girls design sustainable robotics for real-world challenges

S. Macher, InnovationsMacherIn

EUROPEAN PAYMENT ROAMING

A pan-European solution to unify domestic payment systems to reduce dependency on global providers

C. Pirkner, Blue Code International AG

FINANCE & ECONOMY

ALPINE FUTURES LAB

Intergenerational co-creation of climate resilience solutions for mountain regions

F. Walter in collaboration with the Austrian Alpine Club

LAWGIC-AI

An AI-powered tool that provides adaptive, ondemand legal guidance for EU startups

A. Czechowska, Lodz University of Technology

HUMANOID ROBOTICS STRATEGY

A roadmap for Europe to lead in ethical, industrialscale humanoid robotics

C. Tauber, NEOALP

These twelve ideas reflect the breadth and depth of the full ‘80 Ideas for Europe’ initiative. They show that transformation doesn’t start with abstract visions – but with smart, courageous, and collaborative action. In total, around 140 ideas were submitted; and the best 80 were selected across four thematic tracks (Climate 18, Democracy 39, Finance & Economy 16, Security

Translating EU policy into immersive public art via augmented reality

A. Lemberg-Lvova, De Structura

DEMOPLAY

Using interactive simulation to engage young people in democratic decision-making through AI-powered roleplay and adaptive feedback

M. Lipp-Rosenthal, AI Empowered Politics

AND THE RULE OF LAW

THEATRE FOR TRANSFORMATIVE ACTION

Using legislative theatre as a participatory method of democratic engagement

S. Ben Ali, Salzburg Global – Public Policy New Voices Europe Fellows 2024

LAYERED RESILIENCE

Creating a dedicated EU mechanism to advance strategic defence cooperation with key non-EU partners

T. Croft, Forward College

SPACE DETERRENCE

Leveraging joint space infrastructure to strengthen strategic autonomy and integration in European defence

P. Arriazu Ruiz, Telespazio

EUROPEAN DEFENCE PARTNERSHIPS OFFICE

Creating a dedicated EU mechanism to advance strategic defence cooperation with key non-EU partners

B. Tierokhin, University of Dundee

SECURITY

7). Three ideas per track were finally chosen to take the stage during the EFA25 event – where all finalists will pitch them head-to-head for the public vote.

With 80 years of change behind it, the European Forum Alpbach is stepping into the future – ready to shape what comes next for Europe.

No EFA Without the Youth

2025 is a historic year, with the European Forum Alpbach (EFA) celebrating its 80th anniversary. It was in 1945 that the circle around Simon Moser and Otto Molden came together and laid the foundations of this international interdisciplinary gathering and sowed the breeding ground for new ideas and projects. What few people know: with one exception, all of the founding fathers of the EFA were younger than 30 years old. This means: The Youth Created the European Forum Alpbach.

Since 1997, the youth of the EFA has been organised in an international network named the Forum Alpbach Network (FAN), making the youth one of the fundamental pillars of the EFA and its community once again.

‘More courage to change, more sensitivity in confrontations, more creativity than ignorance’ –These were some of the demands by the youth contained in the Declaration of Love to the Republic of Great Minds of Alpbach from 1997. Since then, the youth has remained critical and innovative, pushing for new ideas and more different perspectives in Alpbach and beyond, not shying away from challenging the status quo. Today, the FAN consists of 34 Clubs Alpbach and Initiative Groups (IG) that operate on a voluntary, non-profit basis all around the year across Europe, the Caucasus, the Middle East, and Africa.

PROJECTS BY FAN MEMBERS

– Filter the Future coalition / against maritime pollution by cigarette butts

– Climate strike in Alpbach

– Alpbach Pride Parade

– Awareness Initiative / for more safety and inclusion at the Forum

– Campaigns on Orange the World / against gender-based violence

– Pride and Black History Month

– Event series on the aggression against Ukraine / aWAReness and the European elections

– Travelling exhibitions on Balkan-EU relations / €uroXibition and female refugees / They Took Away Our Voice

– Africa Alpbach Virtual Summits

– Cross-Border Dialogue

– Palumba / a pan-European initiative to help with voting decisions

– Frauendomäne / a database of female experts

FAN VOICE

More Diversity, Less Comfort Zone, More Critical Thinking

Over the last few decades, the EFA has faced and overcome various challenges – ageing, a lack of diversity, finances, programming, or lack of innovation. The FAN has helped to tackle these challenges. FAN activities include running their own scholarship programmes, providing input and feedback on the EFA programme, organising events in the spirit of EFA365, and cooperating on international initiatives and projects. FAN members regularly convene online, in person, and at biannual FAN conferences to strengthen the Alpbach community, exchange knowledge, prepare the next Forum, and initiate joint projects.

Fostering a Vibrant International Community: Alpbach Is Where We Are!

The FAN elects its own bodies. The FAN Board coordinates and represents the youth throughout the year. The FAN Committee organises a social programme at the Forum and makes sure that international scholarship holders receive guidance and are included in the Forum’s activities. Representatives of the FAN are also members of the EFA Board and of various advisory bodies and play active roles of the Forum, ensuring as much diversity as possible. This spirit of critical thinking and boldness extends beyond the EFA. Current and former members of the Forum Alpbach Network play active roles in the impact economy and startup scene, or are themselves renowned artists, scientists and elected officials in their respective countries.

Apart from that, all Clubs and IGs host a variety of events – in total almost 200 – throughout the year and at the Forum. Connect with the Forum Alpbach Network and its members on social media (@fanofalpbach) to stay up-to-date and join their activities.

FAN Voices throughout this magazine are marked with this speech bubble.

Members of the Forum Alpbach Network (FAN) at the European Forum Alpbach 2024

©

Photo: Andrei Pungovschi

SECURITY

SEC Geopolitical turbulence is reshaping the international order. As global governance weakens and power rivalry returns, Europe must assert itself — defending its values, enhancing resilience, and advancing initiatives like the European Defence Union. Explore ideas on defence, geoeconomics, and strategic sovereignty.

Geopolitical

Asserting Europe’s Role in a Contested World of Power Politics

TEXT BY

Pia Fuhrhop (Head of Research Division International Security) and Stefan Mair (Executive Director)

Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (German Institute for International and Security Affairs) –Reporting Partner to EFA‘s Security Track

First and foremost, the security of Europe and its immediate neighbourhood are under grave threat. Russia’s war in Ukraine continues unabated. Though Russia’s military progress is slow and incremental. It can no longer be ruled out that it will achieve its objectives of transforming Ukraine into a vassal state and enlarging its sphere of influence in Europe. There is still the risk of military escalation in the Middle East, despite the cessation of hostilities after Israel and the United States bombed Iran’s military and civilian infrastructure. Often neglected but no less important is the vast region south of Europe, which stretches from Libya to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and from Mauretania to Somalia, where civil wars and state failure continue to escalate.

The second challenge for Europe is that, under the Trump administration in the US, it has lost its traditional partner in dealing with international security. The current US administration’s disdain for traditional alliance commitments and its quest to normalise relations with Russia is deeply troubling. This increases the chances of Ukraine being forced into a dictated peace and leaves European allies vulnerable to pressure.

Rivalry between great powers and club governance have largely replaced multilateralism, while cooperation in the service of providing global public goods has turned into a scramble for scarce resources.

Thirdly, the European economies are struggling to recover economically and to preserve their industrial base, while China creates economic dependencies in many parts of the world and is flooding markets – including the European one.

These geopolitical challenges reflect a larger trend: The so-called rules-based international order and its multilateral institutions – designed to rein in power politics – are in rapid decay. The UN Security Council is unable to address the fundamental breaches of international law committed by its permanent members, nor can it respond adequately to the increasing number of violent conflicts around the world. The steady erosion of the world trade order and the World Health Organisation’s failure to effectively handle the global COVID-19 pandemic are only the most visible manifestations of the decline. Rivalry between great powers and club governance have largely replaced multilateralism, while cooperation in the service of providing global public goods has turned into a scramble for scarce resources. In this context, Europe must urgently invest in its own strategic sovereignty.

This requires substantial and sustained efforts in three areas. Europe must acquire the necessary military capabilities to decrease its dependence on US security guarantees. This includes the ability to defend Europe’s territory as well as the capacity to contribute to maintaining peace and security in more remote regions of the world. Acquiring those capabilities at a reasonable cost requires European states to overcome traditional barriers to cooperation. Moreover, Europe must find the political will to reduce

Realignment

economic dependencies by diversifying markets, supply chains, and energy and raw materials sources. This requires the consistent application and enforcement of the geoeconomic strategies and instruments the EU has developed in recent years, such as the Economic Security Strategy, the Anti-Coercion Instrument, the Critical Raw Materials Act, Foreign Direct Investment Screening, the International Procurement Instrument, as well as anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures. Finally, Europe must provide attractive offers to strengthen international alliances and partnerships and make efforts to embed them in miniand plurilateral configurations. This includes free trade and investment agreements, climate, energy and raw material partnerships, defence and arms cooperation, as well as traditional development aid and the Global Gateway Initiative.

It is well possible for the EU and a wider Europe to assert itself in a more contested world, but it will come with particular dilemmas as both Europe’s normative and material basis of power projection is fraying. For one, the EU itself is premised on the idea that power politics can be overcome

It is well possible for the EU and a wider Europe to assert itself in a more contested world, but it will come with particular dilemmas as both Europe’s normative and material basis of power projection is fraying.

to benefit everyone. As a result, a more assertive, geopolitical Europe is particularly vulnerable to the accusation of applying double standards.

Moreover, as mentioned above, Europe will need to vehemently promote its interests while seeking new partners around the globe. This will require Europeans to approach partnerships on a more equal footing, rather than presuming that Europe’s problems are the world’s problems too. Therefore, an approach to reaffirming Europe’s global role must start at home. To begin with, the EU must allow for a clear-eyed assessment of its strengths and limitations and find the political will to overcome two major weaknesses: the principle of unanimity in foreign and security policy and the lack of competitiveness in key technology sectors.

Ulf Steindl and Jan Farfal talked about the European Defence Union and the EU’s evolving role as a strategic actor.

Complacency is no longer an option.

Jan Farfal

TEXT BY

Ulf Steindl (Research Fellow, Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy, AIES) and Jan Farfal (Co-President Club Alpbach Poland, FAN Security Track Representative)

United in Defence?

With the EU advancing its geopolitical role through the Strategic Compass, a Defence Commissioner, and a new parliamentary committee, momentum is building for a European Defence Union. Which concrete steps lie ahead, what developments are emerging, and what should the Union ultimately look like?

As much as the Strategic Compass emerged in response to Trump’s first presidency, the new Defence Commissioner and independent parliamentary committee followed swiftly after the second. The pace has accelerated, driven by a growing recognition that with deepening uncertainty and Russia’s continued aggression in Ukraine, complacency is no longer an option. What we are seeing this year is the rise of institutional pillars that could lead to a defence union. Readiness 2030, Defence Readiness Omnibus, and SAFE reflect a major shift in the European peace project, which only few years ago would have been unthinkable.

That said, the road towards a defence union still remains long. While recent steps are encouraging, observers are waiting for tangible results: interoperability, joint procurement and shared maintenance of capabilities.

Member states remain divided on threat perception, defence budgets, and industrial interests. How can integration move forward under these conditions?

We need to see this in a broader context. The Russian invasion and US unpredictability were powerful imperatives for change, but a European Defence Union is also the next logical step in Europe’s 80-year integration process. From the Coal and Steel Community to joint currency – each stage of European integration was marked by great geopolitical upheavals, but also by deep disagreements and diverging interests.

With Trump’s return, fears of further US disengagement have grown. Can Europe close critical capability gaps in reconnaissance, logistics, and air refuelling on its own? And is there already progress?

Compared to a record-low mood in February following JD Vance’s speech in Munich, we’ve reached a stage of ‘not great, not terrible’. Still, volatility will likely define our strategic outlook. The so-called critical enablers cannot be developed overnight. Until then, reliance on US support remains an uncomfortable but necessary reality. European Air Transport Command has improved aerial refuelling capacities and is often seen as a rare success story in adressing capability gaps. The problem is — it’s one of very few.

Despite many initiatives, the European defence market remains fragmented, marked by slow programme progress and limited funding. Is strategic capability still a viable goal, or is there a risk of ambition outpacing reality?

There is no other credible option. This year’s EFA theme ‘Recharge Europe’ will delve deeply into this, and I warmly invite you all to join the conversations!

A Strategist for a Changing Europe

When Robert Brieger took over as Chair of the European Union Military Committee in May 2022, Europe was facing its gravest security crisis in decades. Just three months earlier, Russia had launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Suddenly, questions of readiness, territorial defence, and deterrence were back in European capitals and politics. And General Brieger, formerly Chief of Defence of neutral Austria, was at the centre of it all. The war shattered the prevalent perception of security and fuelled an urgent debate about the resilience of Europe’s security architecture and its institutional capacity to protect its citizens in a radically changed geopolitical environment.

Brieger’s trajectory toward the EU’s top military post began nearly five decades earlier. He joined the Austrian Armed Forces in 1975, graduated from the military academy and completing the General Staff Course. His career spanned key defence roles, including Chief of Staff and the Minister of Defence. He gained operational

1979

Graduate from the Austrian Military Academy as Armour Officer

2001-02

Austrian Contingent Commander, KOSOVO

2011-12

Force Commander, EUROPEAN FORCES, Operation EUFOR ALTHEA

experience abroad, leading troops in Kosovo and commanding the EUFOR mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He also engaged closely with NATO structures and the German Armed Forces. These experiences sharpened his ability to navigate complex multilateral environments.

This international experience proved invaluable when he assumed the position of Chair of the European Union Military Committee (EUMC) – the EU’s highest military body, composed of the Chiefs of Defence of the 27 Member States. As Chair, Brieger provided military advice to the Political and Security Committee and the European Council, oversaw EU military operations, and represented the EU’s military voice externally.

His operational background and diplomatic skillset allowed him to balance political

sensitivities while strengthening coordination and cohesion within the EU’s increasingly complex defence architecture. Coming from a militarily neutral Member State outside NATO gave him a unique vantage point – not bound by alliance politics and well-positioned to build bridges across diverse strategic cultures within the Union. This perspective proved instrumental in facilitating sensitive agreements among Member States.

He also witnessed how quickly mindsets were shifting. For years, the EU’s security and defence policy had focused on managing crises outside its borders. But with war in Europe, priorities changed. “Expectations of the military and security providers changed significantly”, Brieger recalls. Defence was no longer an abstract discussion – it became a question of responsibility.

Among the operational milestones during his term were the launch of the EU Military Assistance Mission for Ukraine and the establishment of Operation Aspides, a naval mission in the Red Sea to secure maritime navigation in response to Houthi attacks. Brieger helped lay the groundwork for deeper military integration of the Member States’ armed forces in the long term – vital for a credible European defence posture.

That sense of responsibility, Brieger argues, must be shared by society as a whole in order to to enhance readiness and ensure resilience. For too long, Europe underestimated the importance of defence preparedness – not just in budgets and equipment, but in mindset. “Security has its price’, he says, ‘and it must be paid, like an insurance policy.”

Security has its price. It must be paid, like an insurance policy.

Robert Brieger

In Austria, this has triggered a broader debate. The Austrian Armed Forces, long seen by the public as a disaster relief force, must now reposition itself.

“We need to become a deployable army again”, Brieger says, pointing out that neutrality does not mean passivity. It means taking defence obligations seriously, perhaps more seriously than alliance members who can rely on collective security.

Brieger is cautious about large budget increases. While NATO’s recent 5 % GDP goal made headlines, he questions its feasibility and intent. “It’s a strong demand”, he says, hinting that it may have more to do with transatlantic signalling than practical planning. Rather than chasing numbers, Brieger advocates smarter cooperation: reducing equipment fragmentation, integrating defence industries, and aligning procurement. A fragmented defence effort, he warns, is a strategic liability - particularly for interoperability. Seamless joint action is both economically and strategically essential.

Before leaving office in May 2025, Brieger urged Europeans to develop real structures for territorial defence. This is vital for making the EU’s mutual assistance clause (Article 42.7) credible. “If 27 countries debate for weeks whether to help each other, that won’t be a credible answer”, he warns.

His attention to threats extends beyond conventional warfare. Cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and covert influence operations

2017

Chief of Staff of the Austrian Federal Minister of Defence

2018

Chief of Defence

Staff of the Austrian Armed Forces

2022-25

Chairman of the EU Military Committee

have already become part of the European security reality. Societies, he argues, must become more resilient – not just militarily, but socially and politically.

Brieger also states how the nature of war itself is changing. The Ukraine conflict has shown how quickly technology reshapes the battlefield. Drones, AI, and electronic warfare are no longer futuristic, but today’s reality. “This development is irreversible’, he says, ‘and the European armed forces, including Austria’s, must adapt.”

If Europe wants to shape its own future, Brieger is clear: It must be ready to take responsibility – for its security, for its values, and for the stability of the continent.

Today, General Robert Brieger continues to share his expertise as Chair of the EFA Security Track committee.

Photo: Jannik

Unsplash

Will Geoeconomics Drive Globalisation 2.0?

Governments have always used economic tools to advance their security, but over the last ten years, geoeconomics has taken off as an element of statecraft. Will this increased reliance on economic statecraft lead to more fragmentation or to a new globalisation 2.0?

Whether through coercive measures such as embargoes and export restrictions or positive initiatives such as trade agreements promoting integration and shared rules, geoeconomics – the use of economic tools to advance national security – has long played a significant role in international relations. Over the past decade, however, it has come into its own, rivalling foreign and defence policies as governments strive to safeguard their citizens’ interests, values, and prosperity.

What explains this shift? The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and China’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001 accelerated globalisation, connecting economies across the world through trade and investment. The prevailing assumption was that major economies would converge on a free-market model, fostering peace and stability.

However, such ties also created vulnerabilities. Should a state with divergent aims emerge, it could exploit these links. Commercial rela-

tionships once viewed as win-win could quickly become zero-sum. A case in point: Russia’s gas exports to Europe, once a symbol of cooperation, became a source of unwanted dependency after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

China presents a different kind of challenge. Its ascent is largely due to its economic strength –in technology, electric vehicles, consumer goods, and exports. Yet it has not evolved into a market economy as anticipated, complicating efforts to align its policies with the WTO, an institution grounded in open-market principles.

Looking ahead, the challenge for geoeconomics is whether it can underpin a new phase of globalisation – more realistic about geopolitical tensions and a multipolar world, yet still supportive of widespread prosperity. The key may lie in flexible coalitions of like-minded nations advancing new rules, agreements, and even institutions that can gradually broaden their reach.

TAKEAWAY 1

In the last ten years, geoeconomics has come into its own, rivalling foreign and defence policies as an element of statecraft of first resort.

TAKEAWAY 2

Commercial relations that were considered win-win under globalisation can become zero-sum if they are leveraged by a rival economy.

MAIN QUESTION

Can geoeconomics create a second phase of globalisation more realistic about geopolitical conflict and a multipolar global economy?

SHORT BIO

Peter Rashish is a former Vice President for Europe and Eurasia to the US Chamber of Commerce, and Senior Advisor of McLarty Associates. He is on the Board of Directors of the Jean Monnet Institute in Paris and is a Senior Advisor to the European Policy Centre in Brussels.

Europe's messaging maze

The state of policy communications

A year of elections has transformed the European policy landscape, and communicating within it is more complex than ever. That’s why we asked 500+ senior policymakers, public affairs leaders, and private sector executives across Europe:

•How are communication strategies changing?

•What channels and tactics are breaking through?

•How are organizations adapting to rising polarization, misinformation, and media fragmentation?

Whether you're advising clients, shaping narratives, or making media investments, this is the roadmap you need for 2025.

DEMOCRACY

AND THE RULE OF LAW

Democracy is facing a moment of reckoning. Polarisation, disinformation, and mistrust challenge its foundations. Strengthening democratic institutions now means making them resilient, adaptive, and inclusive in the digital age. Find out how the EFA community addresses these pressures – from youth political engagement to safeguarding truth and accountability in the age of AI.

The First Democratic

This represents the European Union’s greatest opportunity to reinvent itself as a genuinely democratic project. In an era where China projects power through economic coercion, Russia through military intimidation, and the US steps away from the rules-based order, the EU possesses the unique potential to become the world’s first truly democratic superpower. A democratic superpower which relies on voluntary cooperation demonstrates that cross-border democratic collaboration can deliver better outcomes than national isolation or authoritarian control. However, despite this once-in-a-generation opportunity, the EU and national leaders remain paralysed, caught between populist pressure and institutional inertia. Just when European citizens are most willing to support joint action, their leaders are failing to respond.

What’s missing is the political courage to make an affirmative case for EU-wide action on the issues that matter most to Europeans: common security, managed migration, and shared prosperity. When mainstream politicians present European integration as a reluctant necessity rather than a democratic opportunity, they inadvertently validate the populist claim that ordinary citizens have no real choices left to make.

But this failure of political imagination stems from a deeper structural problem: the absence of a genuine pan-European political and electoral space. European Parliament elections remain 27 separate national contests fought by loose confederations of national parties on domestic issues. There are no truly transnational political parties, no EU-wide candidate lists, no European-level policy debates that transcend national boundaries.

Yet, these structural barriers aren’t an inherent feature of the EU – it’s a design choice that can be changed. The solution lies in creating institutional mechanisms that allow European political preferences to emerge through genuine EU-wide political competition. Four targeted reforms could realign political incentives with citizen preferences:

1Genuine European Political Parties: Requiring each national EU political party to join a European political party before – not after – the EU elections would force candidate MEPs to position themselves on European, not national, issues. This would transform today’s loose federations of domestic parties into genuine pan-EU political forces.

SHORT BIO

Alberto Alemanno is the Jean Monnet Professor of EU Law at HEC Paris, Democracy Fellow at Harvard University (2024/25), and Europe’s Futures Fellow at IWM (2023/24). He is a member of EFA’s Democracy Committee.

Europe’s Alternative to Authoritarianism

2

One European Electoral Competition: EU elections should be organised through an EU-wide electoral college instead of 27 parallel national elections, with Europeans voting on the same date for candidates presented as a common pool by European political parties. A German nurse, a Portuguese fisherman, and a Polish businessman could all potentially vote for the same candidate and same party. Such a reform would transform European Parliament elections into one genuine European contest.

3

Direct European Elections for the Commission President: Requiring each European political party to nominate its candidates for EU top positions would help establish clear European political leadership, grounded in electoral mandates for EU-level action. When top EU positions are chosen by European voters rather than emerging from national government negotiations, those elected can claim democratic legitimacy for EUwide policies.

4

Citizen Participation: A transnational democratic culture of EU citizen participation must be established. European residents should participate regularly in EU decision-making through multiple channels – enabled by an AI-based, multilingual, and real-time deliberative platform available to 450 million citizens. This includes petitions to the EU Parliament, European Citizens’ Initiatives, public consultations, as well as European citizens’ assemblies. Through this, citizens participating in European deliberation could become advocates for European solutions within their national political systems while contributing to an emerging transnational political space.

Europe’s path to superpower does not lie in mimicking great-power politics, but in advancing a new model of scaletranscending democracy.

Alberto Alemanno

These institutional reforms would fundamentally reshape the power structures that continue to limit European leadership within the confines of the nation-state. Europe’s path to superpower does not lie in mimicking great-power politics, but in advancing a new model of scale-transcending democracy: governance systems that maintain democratic accountability while operating across civilisational-scale challenges.

For the first time in decades, European citizens are ahead of politicians in recognising the need for collective action. But this democratic opportunity will only translate into democratic superpower status if Europe builds democratic institutions that match its transnational reality. Either Europe upgrades its political culture into transnational democracy, or it remains a continental economy running on village-scale politics – economically integrated, politically fragmented, and strategically irrelevant.

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Courage Comes from Taking Action!

From paralysis to the art of action – why we need new formats for engaging young people in democracy, especially where it is most at risk.

When we founded Radikale Töchter (“Radical Daughters”) in 2019, one thing was clear to us: The world needs more courage to face the complex challenges of our time. Furthermore, political engagement can be learned. That’s how our approach was born – to train the courage muscle. With our colourful toolbox of action art methods, we teach young people how to become capable of taking action in their own environments in our workshops.

Our work mainly takes place in areas where political education is lacking and right-wing movements are gaining ground: in schools, youth clubs, and local associations. Radikale Töchter are especially active in rural areas of the eastern German states. We particularly enjoy working with groups whose members initially identify as ‘apolitical’. No coughing, because there’s no dust – our action art methods are so effective because they give participants space to explore their own everyday issues, far from political theory, and to ask one simple question: What do you want to change? What is your demand? Action art is accessible, smart, and takes place in public space with simple means. Our workshops make political participation tangible – it’s fun and it works. This builds up courage, creates connection, and shows our participants that getting involved is worth it. A vibrant democracy requires us to take a stand – and to believe that change is possible.

SHORT BIO

Cesy Leonard is an artist, working at the intersection of performance and political action, and the founder of Radikale Töchter. She inspires people to take action for democracy at the intersection of art and politics.

© Photos: Meike Kenn, Nadia Westerwald

TEXT BY

Hertie School is EFA’s

Reporting Partner for the track topic ‘People and Power: Strengthening Truth and Trust’. It is a private university that covers interdisciplinary and practice-oriented teaching, research, and an extensive international network.

Expert Insights

Renewing Administration through Democratic Anchorage Reforms (RADAR)

RADAR is an EU Horizon-funded research project of Hertie School. Comprised of ten European partner organisations, the consortium aims to provide public administrations in democratic societies with tools for public administration reform. It does so through studies on the potential for ‘democratically anchoring’ reforms by creating new narratives or legitimising accounts of the role and functioning of public administrations in democratic systems. These practices of ‘democratic anchorage’ and these new narratives need to be embedded in the training and education of civil servants and public officials who are the reformers and innovators of tomorrow.

Information integrity is essential for democracy

“In times of democratic crisis, safeguarding media freedom is more vital than ever. The Media Pluralism Monitor is a holistic analysis carried out annually by the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) to detect threats to pluralism, flagging potential backsliding and informing European policies on media, democracy, and the rule of law,” – Elda Brogi, Deputy Director, Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF), EUI.

“Understanding disinformation is key to the development of solutions which respect fundamental rights. Considering its complexity, only multidisciplinary analysis can provide a comprehensive awareness of the phenomenon. This is what Lisa Ginsborg and Paula Gori at the EUI aim at with the upcoming publication Disinformation: A Multidisciplinary Analysis,” – Paula Gori, Secretary-General and Coordinator of the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO), EUI.

TEXT BY

European University Institute (EUI) is EFA’s Reporting Partner for the track topic ‘Democracy and Rule of Law in the Digital Age: AI, Disinformation and Media’. EUI offers advanced training and research opportunities in economics, history, law, political and social sciences.

Eight think tanks have joined the EFA25 as Reporting Partners, each tasked with a single goal: to summarise and reflect on the key issues within our main thematic tracks - Climate, Democracy and the Rule of Law, Finance and Economy, and Security.

Europe’s Chance to Lead Beyond the Hype

SHORT BIO

Katja Mayer is a Science-TechnologySociety scholar at the University of Vienna and Senior Scientist at the Center for Social Innovation. She brings experience in research, policy, and IT to her current work, which explores the politics of data, AI, and open infrastructure. She also serves on the European Forum Alpbach’s Scientific Advisory Board.

In times of rapid change, Europe must navigate its path in a new digital era. We spoke with Katja Mayer about how democracies can build a resilient digital society –and what it takes for Europe to achieve digital sovereignty while safeguarding its core values.

AI-generated content and algorithmic manipulation threaten informed public discourse. How can democracies expose, counter, and navigate these challenges – to build a resilient digital society?

KM We need to stop treating ‘digital society’ as something separate. There are societies, and algorithmic manipulation threatens their democratic fabric far beyond the digital realm. It is not only informed discourse that is in danger, but democracy itself. The question rightly centers democracies as agents of change, invoking values like solidarity, participation, and the rule of law. To expose and counter manipulation, we must strengthen trusted public infrastructures – such as public broadcasting, libraries, and open knowledge institutions – and give them the rights and resources to operate much more broadly in the digital realm. Transparency and audits of AI systems are necessary but insufficient without strong, accountable institutions that can enforce standards and withstand extreme political pressure. Democracies should thus invest in shared, democratically governed infrastructures and

It is not only informed discourse that is in danger, but democracy itself.

Katja Mayer

resilient legal frameworks that prioritise public interest, ensuring open and pluralistic knowledge flows. Critical literacy and civic engagement must complement these efforts, empowering citizens to navigate and contest manipulation, while preserving trust in democratic norms.

As geopolitical tensions rise, Europe’s digital sovereignty becomes a strategic imperative. How can Europe secure its technological independence while safeguarding its values and autonomy?

KM Independence is not an end goal in itself. Digital sovereignty must be more than technological self-sufficiency – it’s about ensuring democratic control over critical infrastructures. Europe’s reliance on a handful of global tech giants, especially in the cloud sector, undermines its ability to act on its own terms. A recent example is the blocking of the International Criminal Court emails by Microsoft. These companies dominate not just platforms, but entire digital ecosystems, making much more than ‘just’ AI innovation dependent on their services, their rules, and their jurisdictions.

To reclaim agency, Europe needs significantly more public investment in open, democratically governed infrastructures, especially cloud services, open-source software, and shared data resources, based on accountable practices, such as Open Science. Public procurement can furthermore help create stable demand for such open and local alternatives. Fair taxation and stronger antitrust enforcement are essential to curb monopolistic power. Above all, digital sovereignty should be rooted in the common good: safeguarding public services, enabling collective innovation, and resisting the enclosure of knowledge. Europe must lead by example – and certainly not through dominance, but through values-based governance.

Advances in AI are transforming innovation and redefining risk. As competition intensifies, the pressure to adapt grows. What does it take to foster a future-ready business environment?

KM The much-touted advances of AI rest on a fragile evidence base, sustained more by hype and fear than by robust evaluation of societal benefits. First of all, we must leave behind the naive narrative of regulation versus innovation. Regulation is not an obstacle to progress, but a democratic instrument to shape innovation in line with societal values. Digital sovereignty should not be reduced to ‘European competitiveness’. The real task is to ensure Europe can shape its digital future on its own terms – through solidarity, sustainability, and shared governance, rather than replicating Silicon Valley’s extractive models.

A future-ready business location requires rethinking the digital stack from the ground up; data, computing and applications must be treated as public interest infrastructure. If done right, Europe can demonstrate that another digital future is possible – one that strengthens democracy instead of undermining it.

The belief that we ‘need’ hyperscalers is not a technical necessity, but the result of economic concentration, underinvestment in public infrastructure, and regulatory inaction. To overcome this, we must repoliticise the infrastructure question and reinvest in federated, open, and democratically governed alternatives – turning public values into resilient, future-ready ecosystems. I firmly believe this will not only lead to far more diverse business models grounded in openness, trust, and sustainability, but also foster a more competitive and resilient market in the long term.

FINANCE & ECONOMY

Europe’s prosperity hinges on its ability to adapt to global change. Structural challenges such as slow growth, rising unemployment, stagnant productivity, and demographic pressure threaten Europe’s competitiveness. A forwardlooking strategy is vital for addressing these multifaceted challenges. Contributions from the EFA community explore ways of boosting Europe’s economic resilience – from strengthening capital markets to fostering innovation and restoring competitiveness.

Scaling Innovation, Securing Growth

Finance, Innovation, and Competitiveness in a Transforming Global Economy

Europe is currently navigating a complex landscape characterised by modest economic growth, persistent structural weaknesses, and intensifying global competition.

These intertwined challenges affect Europe’s ability to innovate, finance its future, and shape its role in a world of accelerating geopolitical and technological change. In the midst of facing these issues, one question takes centre stage: How can Europe generate a fresh burst of energy and influence in a contested global landscape? Forecasts for 2025 predict that GDP growth will stay modest around 0.8 – 1.1 % for the euro area and EU. This showcases the various pressures at play: weak external demand, structural issues within Europe, and more recently, rising tariffs and uncertainty following unexpected shifts in US trade policy. At the same time, productivity growth remains low, especially in key sectors like the automotive industry, which has a negative impact both on competitiveness and long-term economic resilience. New technologies, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI), are a vital part of the solution. If

harnessed effectively, AI could boost productivity and reshape Europe’s global standing. However, it is easier said than done. The challenge lies in integrating such technologies without compromising fundamental European values.

It is also evident that European companies still face several obstacles to growth. Skills shortages are widespread, and industrial electricity prices in Europe are two to three times higher than in the US or China. This places a heavy burden on energy-intensive sectors.

On top of that, despite excelling in scientific research, Europe often struggles to translate knowledge into real-world innovation. Public funding is sometimes delayed by complex procedures, and private investment in research and development (R&D) is lower than in other global regions. Additionally, the EU lacks robust systems for facilitating the growth of innovative companies across borders.

Effective scaling requires a critical examination of existing barriers and active support for an integrated innovation ecosystem. Therefore, the

SHORT BIO

Cecilia Trasi is a research analyst at Bruegel focusing on green industrial policy, geoeconomics, and climate diplomacy. Her professional background includes the European Commission and the OECD.

What is needed now are bold new proposals to tackle Europe’s most pressing economic and technological challenges.

focus must be on practical approaches to financing start-ups which tackle urgent climate and social challenges.

However, issues arise not only within the EU but also outside it, as the current global environment poses increased risks for Europe. Trade tensions, supply chain disruptions, and economic fragmentation have shown how dependent the EU is on certain foreign suppliers, including key economic elements, such as raw materials and digital infrastructure.

Now, key questions are being raised about how Europe can move from merely reacting to global trends to actively shaping them – through strategic trade, targeted investment, and a forward-looking international climate policy.

At the same time, Europe must succeed in both the digital and the green transition. These are not optional. They are essential to Europe’s economic strength and its efforts to meet climate goals. Both transitions however require large investments, strong political commitment, and good coordination.

EU programmes do exist to that effect, such as NextGenerationEU, a large-scale recovery plan investing in a greener and more digital Europe, and the EIC Accelerator, which provides funding

and support to innovative start-ups and small businesses, and for their part, they already support advanced technologies like AI, biotechnology, and new materials. Scaling these efforts up all across Europe, however, remains difficult.

What is needed now are bold new proposals to tackle Europe’s most pressing economic and technological challenges.

Europe’s ability to remain competitive and innovative hinges on confronting these interconnected and mutually reinforcing challenges. Accelerating innovation transfer, reducing regulatory burdens, investing in skills and R&D, ensuring affordable energy, and fostering a more unified market approach are all critical for restoring Europe’s economic dynamism and global standing. The Closing Session of the European Forum Alpbach’s Europe in the World Days on 26 August will focus on this broader question: How can Europe secure its strategic position and prosperity in an era of geoeconomic fragmentation?

As we gather in Alpbach, the task is not only to analyse Europe’s problems, but to work together on practical, long-term solutions. This is a time to think clearly, act strategically, and help Europe become stronger, more innovative, and more resilient for the future.

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Photo: Marko Risovic

Financing the Future, Shaping Global Development

A PORTRAIT OF AXEL VAN TROTSENBURG

With decades of experience at the World Bank, the Dutch-Austrian economist focuses on longterm financing, institutional partnerships, and development strategies that address global challenges – themes that also shape the European Forum Alpbach’s Finance and Economy track.

In a fragmented world, knowledge is our anchor.

Axel van Trotsenburg

At a time when Europe is addressing questions of economic resilience, geopolitical uncertainty, and the transition to a more sustainable future, Dr Axel van Trotsenburg offers a long-standing perspective on how global cooperation and financing mechanisms can support development. As Senior Managing Director of the World Bank, he contributes to shaping the institution’s strategic direction and strengthening its role in tackling complex, long-term challenges.

Dr Axel van Trotsenburg has spent nearly four decades working in international development. His career is shaped by the belief that global challenges require global responses, and that development should be both ambitious and accountable. Today, as Senior Managing Director of the World Bank, he helps shape its development agenda and keeps it focused on impact and results.

The Dutch-Austrian national van Trotsenburg brings a European perspective to a global role. He oversees the World Bank’s core development work across five thematic vice presidencies – People, Planet, Prosperity, Infrastructure,

and Digital – as well as three cross-cutting departments focusing on Innovation, Results, and the World Bank Group Academy. His portfolio addresses a broad range of issues, from education and employment to energy access and AI, with particular attention to climate change, fragility, debt sustainability, and human capital.

These are also key themes at the European Forum Alpbach, particularly within the Finance and Economy track. As Europe faces slow growth, demographic pressures, and rising debt levels, van Trotsenburg’s focus on long-term development financing and international partnerships offers useful perspectives. His work underlines the importance of stable, well-designed financial systems for fostering competitiveness and economic resilience – not only globally, but also within Europe.

A central part of his current role is leading global partnerships with the UN, bilateral donors, and international financial institutions. He also represents the World Bank in the G7 and G20 and co-chairs the replenishment of the International Development Association (IDA), the Bank’s fund

for the poorest countries. Under his leadership, IDA has secured record funding rounds. Most recently, the IDA21 replenishment raised $24 billion in donor contributions, unlocking a total package of $100 billion – over 70% of which is directed to Africa. These funds support areas such as health, education, infrastructure, jobs, and climate resilience.

He has been a driving force behind four IDA replenishments, helping mobilize about $320 billion in development financing. He was instrumental in the 2016 transformation of IDA’s financial model which allowed for tapping into capital markets for the first time. Most recently, he co-led the IDA21 replenishment, securing a record $24 billion in donor contributions and unlocking a total financing package of $100 billion – the largest in IDA’s history. Over 70 percent of these resources will support development in Africa, targeting health, education, jobs, infrastructure, and climate resilience. For Dr van Trotsenburg, this is more than funding - it is “a powerful act of solidarity” and a commitment to keeping the poor and vulnerable at the centre of development. He also co-led the 2018 IBRD capital increase of $60 billion.

From 2019 to 2023, Dr van Trotsenburg was the Managing Director of Operations overseeing a global footprint of over 140 offices and an average annual lending program of $70 billion. He steered the Bank’s operational surge in response to COVID-19 and other cascading crises. Prior to that, he briefly served as Acting World Bank CFO and Acting CEO, underscoring the depth of his institutional leadership.

His earlier positions include Vice President for the Latin America and the Caribbean and East Asia and Pacific regions, and Country Director for several Latin American economies.

A defining part of his career was his work in the late 1990s and early 2000s on the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, the largest multilateral debt relief effort in history. Coordinating with the IMF, he helped design and implement debt relief packages totalling $30 billion for over 20 low-income countries. He continues to advocate for greater transparency in sovereign debt, calling for ‘radical debt transparency’ to support development goals and accountability.

Van Trotsenburg is a consistent advocate for the role of knowledge in development. He supports the World Bank’s identity as a ‘knowledge bank’ and sees data and evidence as key to improving outcomes and building trust in multilateral cooperation. “In a fragmented world, he notes, ‘knowledge is our anchor.”

His vision is pragmatic and bold: stay engaged, think globally, and believe in the power of collective action through a faster, more inclusive multilateral system. With this ambition, the World Bank Group is tackling today’s defining challenges.

In Alpbach, van Trotsenburg brings a global development perspective to debates on Europe’s financial resilience – from monetary policy and financial markets to funding Europe’s green, digital, and security ambitions.

This is more than funding – it is a powerful act of solidarity and a commitment to keeping the poor and vulnerable at the centre of development.

Axel van Trotsenburg

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Photo: Markus Krisetya

Unsplash

Haltungsübung Nr. 99

Nach vorne schauen.

Eine Haltungsübung für stürmische Zeiten: Nach vorne schauen. Und zwar so oft es geht. Dann spüren Sie nämlich nicht nur den Gegenwind, sondern sehen vielleicht auch die Chancen und Möglichkeiten, die auf Sie zukommen.

derStandard.at

Der Haltung gewidmet.

FAN VOICE

Bridging the Gap

Catalysing Climate Finance and AI Innovation for Net-Zero Transformation in the Global South.

Across the Global South, particularly in subSaharan Africa, the intersection of poverty, climate vulnerability, and financing constraints is slowing progress towards a sustainable future. While the Global North accelerates green innovation, the South contends with prohibitive capital costs, rigid funding structures, and fragile socioeconomic conditions. This is not merely a climate issue; it is a structural governance and finance challenge that demands urgent recalibration.

My PhD research focuses on enhancing sustainable governance and climate finance within the Southern African Development Community (SADC), with particular emphasis on Namibia’s net-zero transition. In countries such as Namibia and South Africa, where unemployment exceeds 33 %, climate ambitions compete with pressing human development needs. Nevertheless, these nations are expected to meet ambitious global targets with limited financial leverage.

Financing is a critical bottleneck. African countries routinely face double-digit interest rates on climate-related loans. According to the World Bank (2022), Africa’s cost of capital is four to six times higher than that of OECD countries. While green finance flows easily into Europe via low-risk, long-term instruments, developing nations remain caught in cycles of costly borrowing and short loan tenures – often under inequitable terms.

A just and effective climate transition requires new financial models. For SADC, this entails blended finance instruments, risk guarantee schemes, and regional catalytic funds underpinned by strong public institutions. Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN), the SDG Namibia One Fund, and the Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) could take the lead in structuring such mechanisms, using benchmarks such as the European Investment Bank.

Namibia’s Green Hydrogen Initiative exemplifies this potential. Aspiring to become a clean

Financing is a critical bottleneck. African countries routinely face double-digit interest rates on climate-related loans.

Tonderayi Prosper Mageza

energy hub, the project has mobilised over $ 10 billion through partnerships, including a publicprivate framework, a € 500 million loan from the EIB, and € 40 million from the Dutch government via Invest International. Yet this represents only a fraction of the estimated $ 190 billion required by 2040. The SDG Namibia One Fund – a blended finance platform – aims to reduce the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) and attract private investment, offering a scalable model for other developing nations.

AI can further increase efficiency, transparency, and risk assessment in climate finance. AI-driven tools can identify high-impact projects, enable real-time monitoring, and democratise access to sustainability data. In Europe, initiatives such as AMIGOS in Madrid and ELABORATOR in France demonstrate how AI can optimise infrastructure and urban sustainability. Similarly, AI could support Namibia’s climate reporting and facilitate the design of sustainability-linked loans. However, technology must be matched by institutional resilience. Policy co-design, inclusive public-private partnerships, and meaningful community engagement are essential. Local investments must be de-risked, and green transitions should empower – rather than displace – vulnerable populations.

This agenda aligns with Europe’s overall strategic interests. The European Green Deal and Global Gateway seek to foster a just, green transition and deepen climate partnerships with the Global South. By aligning investment with Africa’s development priorities, the EU can help bridge the climate finance gap while reinforcing its own strategic autonomy, energy security, and global leadership.

Africa emits only 4 % of global fossil CO2 , yet is home to 17 % of the world’s population and vast carbon sink potential. If empowered to safeguard its ecosystems while advancing inclusive growth, the continent can become a climate ally – not merely a climate victim. Europe can be a sustainable partner in realising that vision.

We must view the Global South not as a recipient but as a co-designer of solutions. The road to global net-zero runs through Africa’s deserts, rainforests, and savannahs – and through its schools, banks, parliaments, and innovation hubs. Climate finance and AI, when designed inclusively and deployed equitably, can be the levers we need to bend the arc towards a truly sustainable future.

We must view the Global South not as a recipient but as a co-designer of solutions.

Tonderayi Prosper Mageza

SHORT BIO

Tonderayi Prosper Mageza is a PhD candidate in management sciences and a sustainability expert, advancing climate finance and artificial intelligence (AI) for governance. He serves on boards in Namibia and Austria, and speaks globally on sustainable development.

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Photo:

Tonderayi Prosper Mageza

CLIMATE

Staying within planetary boundaries, protecting biodiversity, and reaching climate neutrality by 2050 are among Europe’s defining challenges. As the political focus shifts, driving the climate transition forward requires unity, bold leadership, and the ability to turn pressure into an opportunity.

Discover EFA perspectives on cross-border collaboration, climate governance, and how to reframe the transition as an engine for innovation and social cohesion.

Our Planet,

Older and younger generations must shape Europe’s green transition together. By combining urgency with experience and radical ideas with institutional expertise, they can co-create just solutions that leave no one behind.

1

From Lisbon to Lapland, climate impacts differ, yet the crisis is the same. What shared values could bring together a 17-year-old Portuguese student and a 70-year-old Finnish farmer for the common European climate cause?

YOUNG

SHORT BIO

Lena Schilling is a climate activist and a co-founder of the Austrian Youth Council and organised the protest against the construction of the Austrian Lobau Tunnel. As an MEP, she campaigns for climate and environmental justice, nature conservation, and a socially just transformation of transport in the European Parliament.

LS It is the promise that their grandchildren can still play or swim in a sea without suffocating in the heat. Climate is personal, but we share a value: Care. We care for our family, for each other, for the people we’ll never meet. That care, spanning across cultures, borders, and generations, is Europe’s true strength. It’s the beating heart of climate justice. From Lisbon to Lapland, we may feel the crisis differently. But we must act together.

2

Digital platforms have mobilised the youth, while seniors are often actively involved in traditional civic structures. How can we link these forms of engagement for maximum impact?

LS Movements don’t rise from nowhere. They’re built. This is true for both Fridays For Future and for Grandparents For Future. I have seen spaces where grandmothers share their wisdom on protesting, and 19-year-olds bring their digital campaign tools – spaces where protest signs meet hashtags. Connecting them creates something new and powerful. And for that we need workers, mothers, and teachers organising.

© Photo: Ans Brys, Elke Hegmann

All Ages

PH A uniting value across generations is the realisation that we are exceeding the planet’s limits, which is, in turn, leading to a shared goal –stopping climate change. Digitalisation is bringing us closer together. Today, making contact with people beyond national and continental borders has become the norm. Emails and video meetings help us to better understand other people’s problems and values. Travelling has also become commonplace, and studying abroad opens our eyes to different ways of life. Through all of these interactions, young people benefit from the life experience of older people, and older people benefit from the fresh ideas of young people.

SHORT BIO

PH This aged-based picture is becoming increasingly inaccurate. The KlimaSeniorinnen (“Climate Seniors”) unites 3,000 women over 64, most of them digitally savvy. Besides that, the climate youth have demonstrated this: Rather than drawing attention to themselves with social media posts, these digital natives have made their presence felt through powerful, surprising, and serious demonstrations and actions on the streets. By actively connecting and demonstrating adaptability across both digital and street-level activism, both generations bridge these forms of engagement in order to be more effective.

Pia Hollenstein is a cofounder of KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz (“Climate Seniors Switzerland”), advocating for stronger climate protection through intergenerational legal action. As a retired healthcare teacher, she has been active in climate justice since 2016 and supports refugee integration efforts in Switzerland.

OLDER

The wisdom we need is simple: build what lasts. Not just products, but relationships, supply chains, democracies.

Lena Schilling

3

The transition affects someone born in 1950 differently than someone born in 2005. What can each generation do to ease the other’s burden and ensure a fair transition?

LS A person born in 1950 might have benefited from the boom of fossil-fuelled prosperity. Someone born in 2005 will pay the climate bill. Justice begins by acknowledging that imbalance. But it also means resisting blame. Elders can fight for wealth taxes and fossil-free pensions and speak up for future generations. Young people can bring urgency, courage, and imagination.

4

Climate narratives are often polarised along generational lines  –‘boomers vs. Gen Z’. What storytelling techniques have you seen that counter this stereotype in practice?

LS It’s not a generational fight. It’s a fight against a system, a bro-ligarchy of the superrich that profits from delaying, dividing, and destroying: a handful of powerful men flying private jets, blocking climate laws and investing in fossil futures while telling the rest of us to recycle. They win when we turn on each other: young against old, rural against urban, workers against activists.

YOUNG

5

What structural or cultural barriers hinder intergenerational knowledge sharing and co-innovation, and how can we begin to dismantle them?

LS Too many systems reward competition over collaboration. Expertise is hoarded, often by age, status, diploma. And too often, ‘youth’ means inexperience and ‘elder’ means authority, rather than recognising the unique knowledge both can offer. Let’s flip the script: mentorships that go both ways, citizen assemblies with mixed-age seats, funding for intergenerational start-ups. Innovation doesn’t live in silos; it lives in dialogue.

6

Systemic economic renewal needs fresh ideas and experience. What key industrial wisdom should older generations share to help turn climate goals into Europe’s next growth engine?

LS The wisdom we need is simple: Build what lasts –not just products, but relationships, supply chains, democracies. Older generations knew what it meant to fix things, not throw them away. In climate transition, we need that mindset back: repair, regenerate, respect the limits. That’s the foundation of the next European boom – green, fair, and built to endure.

PH Many young people feel that their future was stolen from them and carry the burden of the urgency of the crisis. Older generations offer perspective: Change requires persistence. Together, they ease the burden. The youth bring boldness and demand action, while elders share experience and encourage the youth to engage in legal, political, and decision-making processes. They give each other hope, courage, and agency.

PH Though we share goals with the climate youth, our approaches at times differ. We’ve helped shift the narrative about older women by showing that we’re engaged and relevant – and by speaking openly through traditional media, which younger generations sometimes overlook. Dialogue between generations is active and respectful; disagreements arise from topics, not age. The narrative about young people is also changing – their deep understanding of the climate crisis gives weight and credibility to their radical approach. We value their support, and they respect our legal experience. It’s good to know you’re not alone.

PH Barriers often stem from mutual prejudice and a negative ‘too late’ mindset, but we cannot afford the luxury of hopelessness. To dismantle these barriers, we must reduce prejudice and actively make use of each other’s potential. We give each other space at public events to learn and maintain internal contact , sharing goals and frustrations. The older generation can pass on knowledge about existing political instruments such as petitions and the power of print media, which the youth sometimes overlook. Personally, I find interviews young people conduct for their theses truly inspiring. They often lead to co-innovation.

We cannot afford the luxury of hopelessness. To dismantle these barriers, we must reduce prejudice and actively make use of each other’s potential.

Pia Hollenstein

PH Looking at the state of the world today, young people might have advice for older generations. Many young people are also more advanced and radical in their thinking than we were 50 years ago. ‘Think globally, act locally’ remains a fundamental motto. Another principle crucial to our future is sufficiency. It’s high time we questioned the dogma of endless growth.

FAN VOICE

No Future Without Water First

As the EU embraces blue governance with ambitions to restore and protect the water cycle from source to sea, Club Alpbach France addresses a long-overlooked issue.

The time now seems right for water governance to take centre stage in Europe. Recent catastrophes wiping entire cities off the map have turned ‘floods of the century’ into the ‘century of floods’. The Baltic Sea has become a theatre of strategic interference with submarine gas pipelines and internet cables. Droughts are affecting food security, public health, and biodiversity – on a continent managing the world’s largest Exclusive Economic Zone. It is fair to say that solastalgia – a form of climate anxiety triggered by witnessing the destruction of our shared environment – is hitting hard.

That is why, ten years after the Paris Agreement, bold multilateral action on the least funded Sustainable Development Goal is needed more than ever. The call has been heard. Some countries and institutions are appointing Water Am-

bassadors and Special Envoys, forming a new diplomatic network. President Emmanuel Macron declared 2025 the ‘Year of the Oceans’, and the city of Nice hosted the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in early June.

As for the EU, it has made this issue a priority, with Ursula von der Leyen promising concrete deliverables during her mandate. In Nice, Commissioner Kadis and Commissioner Roswall presented the European Ocean Pact and the Water Resilience Strategy. These frameworks will serve as compasses for forthcoming legally binding agreements – on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction or the Global Plastics Treaty – and for intergovernmental negotiations on Marine Protected Areas and Deep-Sea Mining. They also help raise awareness for the vital ocean-climate-biodiversity nexus.

Water naturally lies at the intersection of the European Forum Alpbach’s thematic tracks. In this spirit, Club Alpbach France (the official French alumni partner of EFA) chose water as a cross-cutting theme for its scholarship selection and projects – extending its impact beyond the yearly forum. Coming full circle, the Club worked on making this 80th edition an immediate contin-

SHORT BIOS

Céline Duval is a trained scientific diver and Club Alpbach France alumna. She now studies the sociology of environmental policy and is the founder and Lead Advocate of Filter The Future.

Thomas Garnier is the Co-President of Club Alpbach France. He led its delegation to the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice and oversaw the curation of water-related events at this year’s EFA.

The clock is ticking. Over 6,000,000 cigarette butts will be littered by the time you finish reading this article.

Thomas Garnier & Céline Duval

uation of the Nice Conference for the continent by curating a continuum of water-related events across the Forum’s two-week span.

Since 2024, Club Alpbach France has also taken the lead in addressing the ‘elephant in the pool’: cigarette butt pollution. Cigarette butts are among the most toxic pollutants in the hydrosphere. They are the most prevalent plastic waste in European ecosystems and rank among the most ecotoxic and reprotoxic contaminants. The clock is ticking: By the time you finish reading this article, over 6,000,000 cigarette butts will have been littered. Yet they remain absent from most major discussions this year.

To change that, FilterTheFuture.eu, the Club‘s new project – an Alpbach IDEA supported by EFA –is seizing a timely opportunity: the upcoming revision of the European Tobacco Products Directive. This rare policy window could introduce ecotoxicity warnings on cigarette packaging, akin to health alerts, to help end inappropriate littering. The initiative, launched during UNOC3, is a coalition of scientists, NGOs, youth delegates, and cities, united by the goal of ensuring that cigarette pollution is finally held accountable. The aim is clear: to ensure Europe leads by example.

Alpbach IDEA “Filter The Future“

Common Ground: The Most Radical

80 years ago, the recognition of common ground among former enemies led to an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity in Europe. Identifying common ground remains essential to continuing this success story and making the climate transformation happen.

This year, we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. 8 May 1945 not only marks the end of the Nazi regime and its genocide, tyranny, and war, but also the beginning of an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity in Europe. This ‘Long Peace’ was built on systemic collaboration, dialogue, and balancing interests. Former enemies such as France and Germany chose to align their interests and integrate them into common European institutions. In Austria, Social Democrats and Christian Democrats laid their interwar conflicts to rest and, through cooperation, enabled an Austrian Wirtschaftswunder – an economic miracle.

Today, we are witnessing the departure from this success story in many Western societies and on the global stage. Dialogue is in retreat. The rules-based international order is being sidelined. Amplified by social media, Western societies are becoming ever more polarised.

This trend is also evident in climate policy. In 2019, the European Commission introduced the Green Deal, an ambitious programme that, for the first time, linked the necessity of climate action

with its inherent economic opportunities. Ambitious goals followed, and key laws were passed.

In 2025, the political landscape has shifted, and climate protection and economic competitiveness are once again being pitted against each other – a trend that risks pushing Europe towards protectionism rather than systemic collaboration. Ambitious climate goals are being weakened and important laws are being withdrawn, to the detriment of both the climate and the European economy.

Today, the 2019 approach of the European Commission seems almost utopian, even though just a few years have passed. However, a fundamental change of course is required to return to this approach and solve the problems of our time. The most radical response to the current political zeitgeist is finding common ground.

At KONTEXT Institute for Climate Matters, we consider building common ground a key priority in the public (climate) discourse. To this end, we developed the ‘Common Ground Check’ that outlines key principles for constructive dialogue and practical application, designed to help us work across disciplines, sectors and social groups.

to the Political Zeitgeist and the Climate Crisis

Today, the 2019 approach of the European Commission seems almost utopian, even though just a few years have passed. However, a fundamental change of course is required to return to this approach and solve the problems of our time. The most radical response to the current political zeitgeist is finding common ground.

Tina Deutsch

These principles include: contextualising debates – i.e. making connections, interdependencies and interests transparent refraining from polarisation – i.e. not losing oneself in pros and cons discussions but staying factual and empathetic actively looking for commonalities –i.e. trying to understand where the other is coming from and what win-win might look like offering real solutions – i.e. working out realistic scenarios and thus activating agency

SHORT BIO

Tina Deutsch is co-founder and chairwoman of the Vienna-based KONTEXT Institute for Climate Matters, an independent think tank dedicated to evidence-based climate policy.

Of course, working towards common ground also carries risks. For the approach to be effective, it needs to avoid false balance and incrementalism –and the discourse needs to remain explicit, stay the course, and allow for constructive controversy.

We are convinced that our approach of favouring commonalities over divisions and jointly developing solutions leads to lasting impact, both in climate policy and beyond, across different sectors. Imagine an Austria and Europe where climate action and competitiveness are no longer treated as opposing goals. The transition to renewable energy and the electrification of all areas of life will certainly require investment – but could free our companies and people from high and unstable costs in the long term. A greener economy offers Europe’s many great minds exciting challenges for research and innovation and its versatile industries a welcome opportunity

to regain their economic strength by developing and exporting new technologies.

What if we considered climate action as an integral part of our security policy? Renewable energies could free us from the dependence on fossil fuel imports, and a vibrant circular economy could make us more resilient amid increasingly fragile international supply chains.

What if tomorrow’s politics were grounded not in polarising headlines but in trust-based spaces that enliven democracy: spaces where pluralism and integrity lead to joint ownership of local and global climate action by citizens, entrepreneurs and politicians alike. Civil solidarity and common positive visions for the future are the strongest antidotes to the rise of authoritarian regimes. A greener continent reduces emissions and creates added value in multiple ways: more prosperity and competitiveness, more jobs and reduced living costs, more social cohesion and a just transition, more independence and security. By seeking common ground, we can uncover unexpected allies — and Austria and Europe are full of them. As the organisers of the EFA rightly state in this year’s theme: "80 years after the end of the Second World War, Europe stands at a crossroads." Only an approach based on finding common ground and unlikely alliances will allow us to continue this era of peace and prosperity and succeed in making the climate transformation happen. Imagine what will be possible if we work together.

© Photo: Tina Deutsch

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