Nathalie Tocci at MSC2026: A Debate on European Values

At the 2026 Munich Security Conference (MSC), IAI Director Nathalie Tocci chaired a high-level panel titled “The European Dream(s): Defending Core Values Under Pressure.” 

The discussion gathered senior European policymakers to explore how democracy, the rule of law and transatlantic unity can be safeguarded amid escalating geopolitical challenges.

Opening the session, Tocci reflected on Europe’s complex legacy: “Now, Europe, as we know, has a history, and it is no stranger to ideas and ideologies – some would say, perhaps even values – of nationalism, fascism and colonialism. And yet, in the post-war period, Europe chose to define itself in opposition to that past. It chose to define itself on the basis of liberal values: democracy, human rights, the rule of law, multilateralism and European integration.”

Speakers included Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, Norway’s Minister of Finance and MSC Chair-designate Jens Stoltenberg, UK Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel, and Franziska Brantner, Co-Chair of Alliance 90/The Greens and Member of the German Bundestag.

Tocci closed the exchange by reminding that “values are central, but they are really part and parcel of respect, solidarity, co operation, unity and independence – and it is only if we actually work on all of these things together that we can ensure our values prevail.”

Watch the full discussion here: securityconference.org