More than 70 experts and opinion leaders from the most important European think tanks met in Warsaw and Toruń during the THINK TANK Forum. The event was organized as part of the official program of Poland’s presidency of the EU Council.
The forum was preceded by a formal dinner, opened by the Minister for European Union Affairs, Adam Szłapka. On the first day of the conference, the substantive part of the Forum was inaugurated by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, along with Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, Undersecretary of State in the EU Affairs Division. They emphasized the importance of expert cooperation and the need to jointly develop solutions to meet the challenges of the coming decades. The event at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister was also attended by Deputy Ministers Jurand Drop, Michał Baranowski, and Dariusz Standerski.
Experts from across Europe
The discussions were attended by representatives of think tanks from most EU countries as well as from the European Economic Area, including institutions such as the Egmont Institute, Globsec, and the Elcano Royal Institute. Polish think tanks were also well represented, highlighting the growing cooperation within the expert community in the country. As Dr. Jarosław Pietras noted, “The Forum provided a unique opportunity for an in-depth debate on the future of Europe, engaging experts from all corners of the continent. It was extremely important to hear the voices of experts from smaller centers, who assessed the possibilities for EU reform and presented very important proposals and evaluations from the perspective of less well-known think tanks.”
Local Dimension
Toruń complemented the Warsaw part of the Forum, emphasizing the importance of the regional dimension in the debate on the future of the EU. The event in Toruń was attended, among others, by Grzegorz Karpiński, Secretary of State in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, the Mayor of Toruń Paweł Gulewski, the Marshal of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Piotr Całbecki, and Deputy Marshal Zbigniew Ostrowski.
Participants also had the opportunity to take a traditional rafting boat ride across the Vistula River and to visit Toruń’s Old Town – a UNESCO World Heritage site – highlighting the cultural and symbolic significance of European cooperation.
Expert Debate
During the two-day session, experts discussed how to combine ambitious sustainable development goals with industrial competitiveness, the EU’s strategic autonomy in the context of transatlantic relations, and strengthening defense capabilities in a complementary approach to NATO. An important part of the discussion was the issue of societal resilience to disinformation – participants unanimously emphasized the need to develop early warning systems and digital education.
From a Central European Perspective
The highlight of the event was the presentation of the report “Better Europe”, prepared by a team of Polish experts as a complementary document to the analyses by Draghi, Letta, and Niinistö. The report includes proposals such as the creation of an EU defense innovation fund, the development of EU–US technological cooperation, and the establishment of early warning systems for hybrid threats. As Dr. Małgorzata Bonikowska stated: “The ‘Better Europe’ report shows that Polish solutions are both ambitious and feasible, combining a vision of sustainable development with concrete mechanisms that strengthen security.”
The report also demonstrates that Poland is bringing concrete proposals and initiatives to the European table.
The event was officially closed by Ignacy Niemczycki, Secretary of State in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister. The closing ceremony was also attended by the ambassadors of Italy, Norway, and Switzerland, as well as the Prince of Liechtenstein.
Partners and Organizers
The Forum was organized by the Foundation Center for International Relations in cooperation with THINKTANK and the Chancellery of the Prime Minister. The official carrier of the event was LOT Polish Airlines. Partners included: Orlen S.A., PKP S.A., PKP Intercity, the PZU Foundation, the PKO Foundation, Żabka Group, Adamed, and Autopay. Content partners were: the Kazimierz Pułaski Foundation, THINKTANK, the European Center of the University of Warsaw, and Respublica. The event was held under the media patronage of Rzeczpospolita, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, and TVP World.
More information about the Think Tank Forum:
“Better Europe” raport: https://csm.org.pl/en/premiere-of-the-better-europe-report/
Official event website: https://forum.think-tank.pl/
