World in Progress heads to France for a landmark edition that will bring together key figures from Europe’s defense sector to discuss Europe's evolving geostrategic role

• The forum World in Progress: A Safe Future will bring together senior officials, public-sector leaders, and distinguished experts to address the most pressing security and defense challenges facing Europe today.
• Confirmed attendees include: Xavier Bertrand, president of the Hauts-de-France region; Sèbastien Lecornu, French Minister of the Armed Forces; Agnès Pannier-Runacher, French Minister for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forestry, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries; Josep Borrell, former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs; Pavlo Klimkin, former Ukraine Foreign Minister; Arancha González Laya, former Spanish Foreign Minister; Bernard Cazeneuve, former Prime Minister of France, Bernard Émié, former head of France’s foreign intelligence service, the Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE); and senior executives from companies such as Parrot, Dassault Aviation, and Indra.

On June 24, the Grandes Écuries in Chantilly (France) will host a special edition of World in Progress, the forum for economic, political, and strategic analysis organized by PRISA Group—the world’s leading Spanish-language media company—with the support of the Hauts-de-France Region. Business leaders, international policymakers, and expert voices will come together to examine Europe’s role and priorities in security and defense, exploring strategic, political, social, and commercial dimensions. 

France, one of the European Union’s most influential member states, is the latest venue for the World in Progress forum, which on this occasion will tackle urgent questions including: the redefinition of Europe’s global role in today’s geopolitical climate; the resilience of digital infrastructure and supply chains; Europe’s industrial rearmament capacity; geostrategic network security; and the rise of autonomous military technologies.

One panel will focus specifically on Ukraine, featuring Pavlo Klimkin, who served as Ukraine’s Foreign Minister from 2014 to 2019. The session will be moderated by Orysia Lutsevych OBE, Deputy Director of the Russia and Eurasia Programme and Head of the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House, and will examine both the successes and the shortcomings of Europe’s approach to the Russian invasion. 

The event will welcome prominent political, business, and policy figures including:
Xavier Bertrand, President of the Hauts-de-France Region;
Sébastien Lecornu, French Minister of the Armed Forces;
Agnès Pannier-Runacher, French Minister for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forestry, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries;
Josep Borrell, former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy;
Arancha González Laya, former Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and current Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA); Bernard Cazeneuve, former Prime Minister of France;
José Vicente de los Mozos, CEO of Indra;
Henri Seydoux, CEO of Parrot;
Éric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation;
Bernard Émié, former head of France’s foreign intelligence service, the Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE). 

According to Joseph Oughourlian, the Chair of PRISA, the company organizing the event, “Europe needs the people who build, decide, and defend to come together in dialogue and collectively find solutions for a secure future. That dialogue is more necessary today than ever.” 

He added: “PRISA has a global footprint, but also a strong European identity, and we want to contribute in the way we know best: by fostering informed dialogue and storytelling that strengthens what we have built as a society in Europe. That’s why we’ve chosen to host this edition of World in Progress in France—a key actor in the history of European integration and international diplomacy—as a lead-up to our flagship event in Barcelona later this year.” 

Josep Borrell, former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, emphasized: “This will be a forum with a definite journalistic dimension,  offering in-depth reflection on the complex issues of security and defense that today affect the economic, political, and social spheres. It’s essential to provide citizens with meaningful context and proposals on issues that impact them, because our well-being as a society—and that of future generations—is at stake.

Contact us:
France
Charles-Henri d’Auvigny - 06 09 67 49 81 - charles-henri@reputation-age.com
Karl Gateau – 06 51 95 29 39 – karl@reputation-age.com
Spain
PRISA Communications Department: comunicacion@prisa.com, 913218771