Steven Everts, director of EU Institute for Security Studies, at Esade: “Europe can only be strong if it is free”
At a time of escalating geopolitical tension and international upheavals, Europe faces a critical dilemma: bolster its strategic resilience, increase defense spending and become more proactive in the construction of a new world order, or be sidelined in an increasingly unstable landscape. This was the main finding of the conference “Bolstering European defense and security: industry and strategy” organized by EsadeGeo, in which academic, institutional and industrial leaders examined the challenges facing the continent against a global backdrop of uncertainty, surging authoritarianism and dwindling multilateralism.
During his speech, Steven Everts, director of the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS), warned that “today’s Trump Administration is a far cry from that of 2016 and aims to take control of all hubs of power. Besides which, Trump is stronger today and Europe, more vulnerable.” Everts urged member states to stop paying lip service to important issues and start making real investments in defense, security and strategic self-sufficiency. “We can only be free if we are strong,” he said before warning the audience that it would be a serious mistake to forget that Europe is not alone, or not work with all the other countries that might also be affected, or to let Trump divide Europe.”
In his analysis, Everts outlined three priorities for the EU: to increase support for Ukraine; to prepare a European defense less dependent on the United States; and to define a policy towards China that is realistic and proactive towards the plural south. “We must act now, we can’t wait to be overwhelmed by crises,” he declared.
Citizen awareness and integration
Rebeca López Serrano, commercial director in charge of NATO affairs at Indra, stated that from an industrial standpoint, “Europe is entering a new era it’s not ready for.” “We’re a group of countries lacking an integrated military structure,” she explained, “It’s not a question of spending more but spending better – more coordinated, faster spending on short, medium and long-term objectives.” López Serrano regarded the present time as a great opportunity for industry to become a strategic ally in security that could strengthen the integration and self-sufficiency of the European Union, and make it increasingly resilient in terms of both products and processes.
Monika Sus, professor at the Polish Academy of Sciences and Hertie School, addressed political and social considerations the conference. She pointed out that thanks to the present-day situation “Europe agrees that the real threat to the European Union is posed by Russia” and that, as a result of the EU’s speedy response to the new Trump Administration, “it’s increasingly necessary to become truly self-sufficient”. As regards security, she highlighted the urgent need to build a political narrative that clearly explains to European citizens the cost and necessity of strengthening the EU’s common defense. “Without citizen support, this entire effort could fail. The extreme right is already capitalizing on the discourse of the very high cost of rearmament – but an invasion would be far more costly,” she warned.
The “Bolstering European defense and security: industry and strategy” conference held during European Union Week 2025, provided a platform for a dozen academic organizations to give talks and discussions about thee dilemmas and priorities currently facing the EU. Ángel Saz Carranza, director of EsadeGeo and chair of the conference, underlined the importance of integrating security, industry and politics into Europe’s response to new threats, whilst Daniel Traça, Esade director general, opened the conference by situating it in the global transformation scenario currently affecting Europe: “We live in an era of giants, but we’re also called to be the architects of a new order based on European values.” Javier Solana, president of EsadeGeo and former senior EU representative for Foreign Affairs, presented the findings of the conference and recalled the importance of European unity, the defense of democratic values, and the need to create “coalitions of the willing, as when the euro was rolled out” in order make progress on issues of strategic self-sufficiency and multilateral commitment: essential cornerstones for tackling global challenges.
