Crisis Cascades: Green Responses to Europe’s Polycrisis

At the beginning of November, Ivan Koutzaroff - project manager at BlueLink, was among the guests at an event organized by the Green European Foundation (GEF) in Vilnius, Lithuania. The event brought together representatives of civil society, scholars, activists, and politicians from the Baltic region, as well as participants from across Europe. During the two-day conference, responses to various crises and resilience in social, environmental, and geopolitical challenges were discussed.

The term "polycrisis" has become a central topic in European public debate. The pandemic, supply chain disruptions, war, cost of living, and climate change create multiple crises that fuel insecurity, instability, and distrust, significantly impacting the European Union and democracy. These issues are particularly acute on the eastern flank of Europe.

The conference provided a platform to discuss and connect the various aspects of (in)security – social, environmental, and geopolitical – and proposed ways to address cascading crises through integrated solutions. Participants explored green tools and visions that can strengthen security and resilience, as well as crisis preparedness at local, national, and European levels. Additionally, they discussed the lessons that the Baltic states can offer to the rest of Europe.

The event attracted representatives of civil society, academics, activists, and green politicians from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, who shared their opinions and ideas in a series of lectures, panel debates, and discussions. Since 2022, GEF has used its unique position as a link within and outside the green movement to nurture and shape conversations about peace and security in Europe, bringing diverse and multifaceted perspectives to geopolitical discussions. The conference continued these efforts, setting the tone for common security policies, a sustainable future, and growth, as well as a fairer and more socially engaged Europe.

On the first day, Prof. Boguslavas Gruževskis from Vilnius University gave an impressive lecture on bringing "the social back into security." This was followed by a panel debate with his participation, along with Aistė Adomavičienė (National Network of Organizations for Poverty Reduction), Ekaterina Royaka (DSVL), moderated by Linas Kukuraitis (DSVL), which focused on social safety in the context of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

In the afternoon, a lecture by Vytautas Valentinavičius from Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) focused on balancing security and freedom through the lens of democracy's role in crisis responses. The panel debate with Elīna Pinto (Progresīvie), Klaudia Jahira (Zieloni), Lukas Savickas (DSVL), Michel Haas from Ghent University, Indrė Vareikytė (communications and gender equality expert), moderated by Laurent Standaert, director of the Green European Foundation, examined providing reliable yet critical responses in times of security crises. The connection between geopolitics and the positions of green movements was also discussed, seeking a new path to preserve and develop achievements. At the end of the first day, Tomas Tomilinas and Elīna Pinto shared green lessons from the Baltics and how resilience is built.

The keynote lecture and discussion at the event were related to the geopolitics of Europe after growth with Richard Wouters. BlueLink is a partner of the eponymous report, which can be downloaded in Bulgarian. This was followed by a panel debate with Richard Wouters on security and the climate crisis – common agendas or conflicting priorities, moderated by Tomas Tomilinas (DSVL) and featuring Karolina Eklow (climate and security expert), Yulia Melnyk (Ekoltava), and Dominika Lasota (climate justice activist).

The full-scale war in Ukraine that began in February 2022 and the subsequent crises require new and innovative solutions and policies to position the green movement in the context of the changing environment. Additional conflicts in the region – political, migratory, climatic, and energy-related – deepen the crises. Each of these issues has a green context that needs to be carefully examined and addressed with practical solutions.