AIES-Alpbach Security Track Report No. 2: Moment of Truth for Europe
Ulf M Steindl: AIES-Alpbach Security Track Report No. 2: Moment of Truth for Europe. AIES Comment 2025/4
11.04.2025
The AIES-Alpbach Security Track Report: Moment of Truth for Europe, authored by Ulf M Steindl, is the second installment in a three-part series jointly produced by the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy (AIES) in cooperation with the European Forum Alpbach (EFA). Anchored in the EFA 2024 theme “Moment of Truth,” the report examines how geopolitical disruption and strategic uncertainty have accelerated Europe’s long-standing debates about defence readiness, energy security, and economic resilience.
As the second Trump administration pursues rapprochement with Russia and undermines transatlantic security guarantees, Europe finds itself in a new era of risk and responsibility. The report traces how these shifts affect the EU’s capacity to act—both in supporting Ukraine and in adapting its strategic posture. It explores key fault lines across defence industrial cooperation, energy diversification, and trade policy, as well as the need for more agile EU enlargement mechanisms and inclusive partnerships beyond the Global North. In a time marked by systemic rivalry and decoupling, the report underscores that Europe’s future will hinge on its ability to transform internal potential into geopolitical agency.