Tuesday 3 March 2026 | 09:00 – 18:00
Renaissance Hotel (Rue du Parnasse 19, 1050 Brussels) and online
Conference languages: EN, ES, FR, DE, IT, SR
At a time when Europe is facing profound geopolitical challenges and rethinking its long-standing security assumptions, the 2026 edition of EZA’s Annual Brussels Conference will critically examine the EU’s current defence strategy from the perspective of workers’ organisations. The conference will provide a space for reflection on the social and economic consequences of the EU’s security policies, and on how these can be reconciled with social justice, respect for human dignity, and the long-term interests of workers and societies.
Four key questions will guide the discussions:
- How have recent geopolitical shifts and crises challenged the multilateral order and brought the EU to its current security crossroads?
- How can a comprehensive security strategy integrate social justice, human dignity, diplomacy, and multilateralism to promote a lasting and inclusive peace?
- How are governments financing higher defence spending, and what are the consequences for growth, employment, inequality, and welfare systems?
- How should workers’ organisations position themselves concretely in response to upcoming EU defence policy initiatives in 2026?
With contributions from journalists, researchers, policymakers, officials of international organisations, peace movements, and representatives of workers’ organisations, the conference will bring together a wide range of perspectives from European policy and civil society. This diversity of viewpoints will ensure both analytical depth and practical relevance for participants seeking to engage with Europe’s changing security and defence landscape.
Speakers include Anne-Cécile Robert (Le Monde Diplomatique), Christophe Gomart (European Parliament), Nan Tian (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute), Dennis Radtke (European Parliament), Patrick Kaczmarczyk (Universität Mannheim), Paraskevi Papantoniou (European Commission), Ionela Maria Ciolan (Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies), Isabelle Barthès (industriAll European Trade Union), Orry Van de Wauwer (Pax Christi Flanders), and Irene Wintermayr (ILO).