Davos – ESI presentation at World Economic Forum side event

21 January 2026
Davos. Photo: flickr/Markus Jaschke
Davos. Photo: flickr/Markus Jaschke

ESI’s Gerald Knaus gave a talk at the European Resilience Summit in Davos, Switzerland. The European Resilience Summit brings together CEOs, policymakers, and senior leaders on the side-lines of the World Economic Forum to have meaningful conversations in a setting that allows for honesty, depth, and action. The theme of the event was thriving in resilience.

In his speech, Gerald stated that now is the moment when Europe must show its resilience. He began by evaluating the turbulence which Europe was faced in the last week alone, noting Russian attempts to freeze Kyiv and Trump’s threats against Denmark. Gerald argued that such events show the destabilizing effects of resurgent nationalism in Europe and the West.

Europe must reject the nationalist narrative and re-commit to what has kept Western Europe an island of peace amidst global conflict: deeper integration. To these ends, Gerald argued Europe must strengthen its collective military deterrence – noting that the founders of the European project saw military strength and integration as critical to Europe’s future. New impetus should also be given to integration in the East, with Gerald noting the success story of EU expansion in the Baltics, Poland, and Romania. Modern Europe is a success story, Gerald concluded. We must not despair or fall into the nostalgia for the past, but instead go forward with confidence and determination.