Resilient Europe 2026: Opening speech by President Petr Pavel

This speech was delivered at the opening of the Resilient Europe 2026 conference in Prague on October 22, 2026. Resilient Europe 2026 connects global leaders in the fields of security, preparedness, and resilience, and strengthens cooperation across Europe.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Guests and Organizers,

The Resilient Europe 2026 conference comes at a time when we are increasingly aware that security cannot be separated from the basic functioning of society. We are all united by the desire to find ways to live in a safe environment, to face everyday situations, natural disasters or security risks threatening the state. The common goal is to contribute with everyone's expertise and practical experience.

We should be united by investing our energy in helping people, the community, society, and the state. Everyone perceives their share of responsibility, through engagements they help strengthen democratic civil society at all levels. A responsible citizen means a healthy, safe, and mature democracy.

Resilience and preparedness expand the area of security and significantly contribute to the ability to prevent, confront, manage, and recover from various types of crises. This societal benefit thus becomes key in maintaining the stability and prosperity of the Czech Republic and the European continent.

Through this conference and similar activities, the Czech Republic has the opportunity to draw inspiration from the experiences of countries that build resilience in the long term and systematically. The Scandinavian and Baltic states or Ukraine show that resilience does not arise from one-off measures, but from long-term building of a culture of preparedness. However, our task is not to simply copy these models, but to transfer proven principles to the Czech institutional, economic and social environment.

I wish you an inspiring course, open discussion, and above all, many new partnerships that will help strengthen the resilience of the Czech Republic and Europe, but also the ability to face any current or future challenges.

– Petr Pavel, President of the Czech Republic