MSC2026 Opening Remarks by Othmar Karas

Excellencies, distinguished guests, dear friends,

on behalf of the European Forum Alpbach, it is a pleasure to welcome you this evening and
to open tonight’s programme together.

My sincere thanks go to our co-hosts and partners: the Sovereign Europe Forum,
represented by Martin Schoeller, and United Europe.
Thank you for your collaboration.

Many of you will know the European Forum Alpbach; some may not.
In one sentence:
EFA is an annual gathering in the Austrian Alps – held since 1945 – that brings together
politics, business, science, civil society, and – crucially – young people from Europe and
around the world. It is a place where Europe’s long-term questions are explored not only in
expert circles, but across generations and disciplines.

In recent years, we have established a meaningful interplay between Alpbach and Munich –
a cycle that allows us to deepen conversations, rather than restart them every time.

It began with the EFA Defence Lab in 2024, a two-and-a-half-day, invitation-only deep dive.
We continued in 2025 with experts from industry, finance, the military, analysis, and politics
and I am glad to welcome many Defence Lab participants among us tonight.

Tonight continues along this path.

I especially want to welcome Commissioner Kubilius.
Commissioner, thank you for joining us.
It is a privilege to have you with us for the second consecutive year, to engage in a truly
European conversation about our security landscape and our path to a defence union.

And this brings me directly to tonight’s topic, and to a few thoughts I want to share to open
our discussion:

One year ago, we stood here and spoke about European sovereignty,
about a European Defence Union,
and about stronger capital markets to fund our priorities.

One year ago, a speech from US-Vice-President Vance reminded us, very clearly,
that Europe cannot outsource its security, and cannot rely on others as a default.

And so, we have to ask ourselves honestly:
Are we more sovereign today? Are we closer to a real Defence Union today?
Have we understood the scale of the European effort that is now required?

Of course some things have happened.
In many Member States, the debate about readiness and resilience has become louder, and
also more serious.

But the core questions, the European questions, are still not answered, and in some areas
we have not even started the real discussion.

• What do we mean when we say “Defence Union”?
• Who is responsible for what, by when, and with which capabilities?
• Where are we still dependent, where have we become stronger, and what must be our
  focus in the next twelve months and in the next decade?

This is exactly why the European Forum Alpbach has chosen its annual theme for 2026:
“How Europe Wins.”

By this we do not mean victory in a narrow sense.
We mean something more demanding: Europe’s ability to shape its own future, to move
from reacting to events to actively forming outcomes.

Look at what we discuss tonight: a European Defence Union, technological sovereignty and
digital infrastructure, and the Capital Markets Union.

These are not three separate conversations. They are one strategic conversation, seen from
three angles, and they only work if they support each other.

• Defence is not only about ambition; it is about capabilities and readiness.
• Technology and infrastructure are no longer just an economic agenda; they are
  instruments of influence, security, and freedom of action.
• And finance is not a technical footnote; it is the bloodstream of capability, because
  without investment we can not deliver.

If these pillars do not align,
Europe stays vulnerable – strategically, economically, and politically.

If they do align,
Europe gains room for action: in foreign policy, in security policy, and in our internal cohesion.

So what does alignment mean in practice?
It means we stop speaking in slogans and start acting with a plan.

A Defence Union needs common priorities, joint procurement, more compatability and a
clearer division of tasks – so that we do not waste money by duplicating what we cannot
afford to duplicate. It also needs faster decision-making, because the world does not wait for
unanimity.

Technological sovereignty means we protect what is critical: our networks, our data, our
cyber resilience, and our industrial base in key technologies. It means we invest in digital
infrastructure as a strategic asset.

And a Capital Markets Union means we finally mobilise European savings for European
goals. It means we make it easier to finance innovation, scale-up companies, security relevant
industries, and the green transition.

In the end, European sovereignty is not a word. It is the ability to decide, the ability to act,
and the ability to protect – our people, our democracy, and our way of life.

My last point is simple: the impatience many citizens feel is real, and it is justified.
The answer to impatience is not louder rhetoric, but clearer delivery.
That is how trust is rebuilt – and that is also how Europe wins.

With that, I wish us an inspiring and productive evening. Thank you very much.