The panel was moderated by Mr. Robert LUPIȚU, Editor-in-Chief of Calea Europeană, Romania. Speakers included: Brigadier General Marius DOGEANU, Head of the Directorate General for Civil Protection within the Department for Emergency Situations, Romania; Mr. Lars HEDSTRÖM, Director of the Centre for Strategic Implications and Innovations at the Swedish Defence University, Sweden; Ms. Olga REZNIKOVA, Researcher at the National Institute for Strategic Studies, Ukraine; Ms. Cordelia BUCHANAN PONCZEK, Research Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA), Finland; and Lieutenant General (Ret.) Tomasz PIOTROWSKI, former Operational Commander of the Polish Armed Forces, Poland.

The discussions emphasised the importance of societal resilience in the face of armed conflict or a security crisis. Sweden and Finland, through their respective concepts of Total Defence and Comprehensive Defence, promote an approach in which every citizen and institution is prepared to respond to crises. Romania has made significant progress in this area by implementing tools such as the DSU mobile app, the “Be Prepared” (Fii Pregătit) platform, and the RO-Alert system—all designed to inform and prepare the general public. The war in Ukraine offers undeniable proof of this necessity: while intense fighting takes place in some regions, in others, the state and institutions continue to function. This capacity for local resilience is essential to maintaining social cohesion and ensuring success in the context of prolonged instability.

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