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The Annual Council Meeting 2026 will take place on 17-18 June 2026 in Vienna

– , Berlin time (CEST, UTC+2)

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ECFR’s Annual Council Meeting is an invitation-only gathering of Europe’s most influential policymakers, change-makers and thinkers, convened to shape European strategic responses to the world’s defining challenges. Bringing together prominent Europeans from the ECFR Council – including heads of state, European commissioners, and leaders from leading institutions – it offers a safe space for confidential conversations on geopolitics, security defence, and global economic change—strengthening Europe’s capacity to act on the world stage.

This year’s Annual Council Meeting will be hosted by the Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, Beate Meinl-Reisinger.

While some sessions will be held under Chatham House Rule to encourage open and candid discussions, plenary sessions will be available to watch online, offering a rare opportunity for a wider audience to gain insights from world-class speakers and decision-makers.

PROGRAMME

Day 1 Day 2

Wednesday, 17 June, 2026

  • 11:30 – 12:30
    • New Council Members welcome
      Invitation only
  • 12:00 – 13:00
    • Registration and lunch
  • 13:00 – 13:05
    • Welcome remarks
  • 13:05 – 13:15
    • Welcome address
  • 13:15 – 13:30
    • Europe’s new geopolitical playbook in an age of unorder
  • 13:30 – 14:30
    • Europe’s power choice: Set the rules or chase the giants?
  • 14:30 – 15:15
    • Coffee break
      Location: Sala Terrena
  • 15:15 – 16:15
    • Policy salons
      Chatham House rule
    • AI in America: Can US democracy survive?
    • Europe’s dilemma: Engaging or disengaging from Russia?
    • EU expansion: Confront the right within and risk EU cohesion, or postpone enlargement and create buffer zones?
    • Co-create, compete, or capitulate? Europe at a crossroads in Africa
  • 16:15 – 17:00
    • Coffee break
      Location: Sala Terrena
  • 17:00 – 17:30
    • Fireside chat
      Chatham House rule
  • 17:30 – 18:00
    • Fireside chat
  • 18:00 – 18:50
    • Europe’s (ir)relevance in the Middle East: Legacy alliances or strategic reinvention?
  • 19:30 – 21:30
    • Formal dinner at Vienna Town Hall
      Invitation only
  • 22:00
    • World Cup match screening: England vs Croatia

Thursday, 18 June, 2026

  • 08:00 – 08:50
    • Breakfast breakouts
    • After the bombing: Europe’s Iran dilemma deepens
    • Ten years after the Brexit referendum: What kind of consensus for a renewed EU-UK relationship?
    • Regional stability or integration? Stones in the Western Balkan shoe
  • 09:00
    • Welcome back remarks
  • 09:05 – 09:20
    • ECFR INSIGHT: Ukraine
  • 09:20 – 10:20
    • When crises collide: Can Europe decide?
  • 10:20 – 10:55
    • Coffee break
      Location: Sala Terrena
  • 10:55 – 11:45
    • Policy salons
      Chatham House rule
    • Adaptation or isolation: How would Europe deal with a nationalist France
    • After the rupture: What is Europe’s role in emerging middle-power alliances?
    • War gaming US tech coercion: how can the EU deter Washington?
    • Wildcard
  • 12:00 – 12:10
    • ECFR INSIGHT: Defending Europe from outside pressures
  • 12:10 – 12:25
    • Fireside chat: Diagnosing the China shock
  • 12:25 – 13:15
    • Welcome to the China shock: can Europe afford to stay open?
  • 13:15 – 13:30
    • Closing remarks
  • 13:30 – 14:00
    • Lunch
      Location: Sala Terrena