The conference, in its third edition in 2024, hosted a debate on common European defense that made analogies between a revolutionary event – the Battle of Pavia – and current geopolitical challenges.
Participants in the debate agreed on the need not only to promote peace and democracy as European Union founding values, but also to defend them. Pivotal to that end are adequate military means capable of exercising effective deterrence in the face of eventual threats; that, along with diplomacy, can do much to protect the stability of the Old World. Indeed, Europe has been shaken by the two major conflicts raging near its borders – in Ukraine and the Middle East – that have drastically altered the priorities of every European country’s defense apparatus.
The conference also highlighted the central role of a “culture of defense”. The need, that is, for Western public opinion to realize the importance of ensuring stability, peace and security for citizens and businesses with credible defense instruments; this in support of the tasks and values of peacekeeping and security that the European armed forces promote.
European investments in the defense sector must be aimed at the development and cooperation of the national defense industries of EU members, fostering European innovation, employment and technologies. The relationship between industry, armed forces, universities and the civil society should be fortified through new forms of collaboration, idea exchanges and shared practices.
European countries currently maintain a range of ground and air deployments. The use of different platforms, however, poses logistical challenges and carries unsustainable costs if the intention is to work toward building an efficient common defense that calls for military instruments more aligned with technological advancements. This would also allow European industry to achieve economies of scale that remain under-exploited in the defense sector.
It was underscored that discussing a common defense does not mean diminishing the role of NATO. Relations between Europe and the United States remain a pillar of Western security. Hopes were expressed for a common defense policy open to renewed collaboration between the EU and the United Kingdom as well.
Some participants pointed out how much the armed forces panorama has changed over recent years, with drones, AI, hypersonic missiles and new technologies radically altering the nature of conflicts. Indeed, there has been a full-scale military revolution. At the same time, “traditional” defenses – consisting of adequate numbers of soldiers and modern and sufficient ground, sea and air systems – remain a priority.
The conference was an occasion on which to publish the third edition of the “La battaglia di Pavia e il futuro della difesa europea (1525-2025)” Report. The 2024 edition of this paper is dedicated to a special focus on the naval dimension of European defense, not least in light of the situations in the Black and Red Seas. It devotes particular attention to the challenges faced by the West, in light of the increasingly strategic importance of underwater infrastructures. Indeed, many critical resources that we use on a daily basis – from gas to the internet – are conveyed by means of underwater cabling, making control a priority.
Italy boasts a long naval tradition and is among the world’s preeminent naval powers. Due to its geographical position, Italy has a maritime vocation and must therefore have a force with adequate capacities. Three aspects deserve attention: first of all, Italy has always had and continues to have robust submarine capacity, which warrants further development. Secondly, over recent decades, the Italian Navy has undergone substantial modernization that has placed new and modern units into service. In this regard, the final question concerns the innovation on which the navy is now concentrating its efforts, with specific attention to the quality and skill of its personnel vis à vis a growing range of threats.
As underscored in previous editions of the conference, every EU member needs to review some of the assumptions on which it has acted in recent years. While defense spending has begun to rise across the continent, significant steps are still needed to accomplish a common defense. The task is one that falls upon the institutions rather than on a military complex that stands ready to comply with directives issued by the EU.