Cres Summer School addresses European democracy and security

The fifth edition of the Cres Summer School took place from September 20 to 25, 2026, on the Croatian island of Cres. Organized by the Austrian Society for European Politics, the event brought together 21 young people from 15 European nations to discuss the theme “Democracy and Security in Europe: Building Resilience in Uncertain Times.”

Keynote speakers included Ulrike Hartmann, the Austrian Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, who addressed the connection between EU enlargement and security. She discussed the current status of accession processes and potential methods to simplify integration, such as involving candidate states in EU institutions and the single market prior to full membership. Other contributors included French diplomat Antoine Michon, who spoke on European strategic autonomy and reducing dependencies, and Spanish diplomat Jeronimo Fuentes Candau, who focused on the EU's geopolitical role.