Europe is currently facing a wide range of crises: from conventional military threats to planetary and existential risks. On 17/18 September, WG5 organised an in-person workshop on European security futures at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg (IFSH). The workshop focused on the implications of this complex crisis constellation and on possible futures that can be imagined for peace and security in Europe. Participants presented findings from ongoing research projects and exchanged views on potential factors for peaceful change in Europe.
Discussions during the workshop addressed theoretical perspectives on concepts of the future and understandings of security, as well as the question of how the plurality of existing and overlapping peace and security orders in Europe can be analytically captured. Panels also addressed topics such as confidence- and security-building measures and the transformation of the established security architecture. Regional perspectives – for example, from the Western Balkans and the Caucasus – as well as the future role of China and the Arctic were also taken into account. The workshop also focused on the internal dimensions of peace and security in Europe, particularly with regard to the constitution and resilience of democratic societies in Europe. The workshop concluded with a panel on how to achieve sustainable peace, with a focus on changing procurement practices, promoting peace education, and reviving inter- and multilateral cooperation.