Wachau European Forum Calls for a Radical Shift in Thinking on Safety and Health
Under the forward-looking theme “The Next 30,” the Europa-Forum Wachau became the epicenter of European future policy from May 18 to 22, 2026. Marking its 30th anniversary, the forum in the heart of Lower Austria brought together a high-caliber international group of leaders from politics, business, and academia. The unanimous conclusion of the intensive debates: In light of global geopolitical upheavals, Europe must transform itself from a project focused solely on prosperity and regulation into a resilient, digitally sovereign, and economically agile actor.
From left to right: Michael Linhart, Anatolie Nosatîi, Klaudia Tanner, Nikolaos Dendias, Gergios Iliopoulos. / Picture: © Europa-Forum Wachau / David Mihailescu
The high-profile lineup—ranging from top politicians such as former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker to leading international business figures—underscored the urgency of a fundamental shift in European strategy. With the global order in flux, Europe faces an uncertain future. At this year’s Europa-Forum Wachau, which focused on “Technology Day,” top politicians, military leaders, and economic experts gathered to debate the continent’s viability. The message from the conference was unmistakable: whether it’s defense, digital sovereignty, or healthcare—Europe is regulating itself to death and urgently needs to pick up the pace.
Austria’s Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner kicked off the event. She spoke plainly about the geopolitical turning point: Europe must urgently “evolve from a peace project into a security project.” Austria itself faces a massive challenge to boost its national resilience and actively help shape European defense policy.
She received support from international colleagues. Greek Defense Minister Nikolaos Dendias declared traditional assumptions about peace to be simply “no longer relevant” and called for a completely new strategy based on innovation and industrial capacity. Anatolie Nosatîi, the Defense Minister of the Republic of Moldova, described just how real hybrid threats and attempts at destabilization already are. As a strategic buffer in the Black Sea region, his country is fully committed to European integration.
Bureaucracy from the 1950s is holding back modernity
In the subsequent expert panels—featuring, among others, military commander Markus Reisner and political scientist Carlo Masala—the biggest obstacle was quickly identified: excessive bureaucracy. Public procurement expert Martin Schiefer summed it up succinctly: “We are currently trying to tackle today’s challenges with regulations from the 1950s and 1960s. This requires more cooperation and greater speed.”
In addition to the material rearmament of the Austrian Armed Forces, the need for “intellectual national defense”—especially among young people—was identified as a key area of focus.
Energy and Pharmaceuticals: Sovereignty as a Strategic Weapon
The transformation of energy systems was defined as a matter of survival for the business location. State Secretary Elisabeth Zehetner referred to the new Renewable Energy Expansion Acceleration Act, through which Austria aims to rapidly cement its independence from fossil fuel imports by streamlining procedures and massively expanding domestic energy sources—whether hydrogen, biogas, or wind. In addition, Naser Nuredini called for closer grid integration with the Western Balkans to permanently close continental supply gaps.
A seamless transition from military to health policy was evident at the so-called “Pharmig Salon.” Experts issued urgent warnings that pharmaceuticals had long since degenerated into an instrument of global power politics. Europe is falling behind in the innovation race because approval procedures are too slow, and there is a lack of venture capital. Professor Markus Müller (MedUni Vienna) therefore advocated for a robust innovation ecosystem rather than rigid government control.
At the regional level, Lower Austria is attempting to counter this trend. Provincial Councilor Anton Kasser presented the “Health Plan 2040 Plus.” To ensure top-tier medical care extends to rural regions, the province is investing heavily in research. A flagship project in this regard is the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), which is expected to employ 2,500 researchers in the near future. To ease their workload, the state is taking unusual measures: A dedicated department will handle the tedious paperwork for scientists so they can focus purely on research.
Digital Sovereignty: Can Europe Still Catch Up?
On the topic of digitalization as well, the panel—featuring State Secretary Alexander Pröll and top executives such as Patricia Neumann (Siemens) and Thomas Arnoldner (A1)—agreed that Europe must overcome national fragmentation. A radical shift in thinking is necessary if Europe is to stand any chance at all against the U.S. and Asia in key technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). How this might look in practice was discussed in parallel at the “Google AI Salon,” where the opportunities of AI in public administration were explored.
The Europa-Forum Wachau has once again demonstrated: The ideas for a more resilient Europe are there—but what is lacking is the ability to implement them and the courage to break with old bureaucratic traditions.
Economic Renaissance: “Play to Win” Against Overregulation
The economic policy panels proved to be no less explosive. Under the provocative title “Competitiveness or Irrelevance: Why Europe Needs an Economic Turnaround,” business leaders harshly criticized the Brussels bureaucracy. Marcel Haraszti, CEO of REWE International, called for a shift in mindset: away from obstruction and toward enabling. Europe must ease the burden on labor and finally make competitiveness a top priority again.
Michael Höllerer, CEO of Raiffeisen Lower Austria-Vienna, clearly rejected the Austrian phenomenon of “goldplating”—that is, exceeding EU requirements with even stricter national laws:
“Austria simply can no longer afford additional requirements beyond the already high EU standards. What is needed is bureaucracy with a sense of proportion.”
Financial experts such as Enver Siručić (President of the Austrian Banking Association and CFO of the BAWAG Group) and Gerald Resch consequently called for the rapid completion of the European Capital Markets Union as well as greater willingness to take risks. Europe, they argued, too often operates in a paralyzing “maintenance mode,” while global competitors pursue aggressive growth strategies.
Background Information
The Europa-Forum Wachau was established in 1995 by the former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, and the Governor of Lower Austria, Erwin Pröll, to mark Austria's accession to the European Union. Since then, it has been held annually at Göttweig Abbey to discuss current European policy issues and to bring Eastern European neighbors closer to the EU.
In recent years, the focus of media coverage has increasingly shifted toward security policy aspects in the wake of the geopolitical turning point ("Zeitenwende"), as well as regional impulses for Lower Austria. Alongside the European Forum Alpbach, the forum is considered one of the most important political discussion formats in Austria.