The Next 30.

Europa-Forum Wachau 2026

18.05. - 22.05.

The geopolitical turning point is forcing Austria and Europe to find clearer answers to bolder questions.

For 30 years, the Europa-Forum Wachau has been Lower Austria's platform for the Dialogue between business, science, politics and diplomacy. To mark its anniversary, the Forum is taking a forward-looking look at the next three decades - „The Next 30“. Over four days, the 2026 Forum programme will be dedicated to the central Questions of European sovereignty in a fragile world order.

The programme will kick off on Campus Krems the technological foundations: We discuss the establishment of a defensive security architecture and pharmaceutical independence and combine this with the necessary economic turnaround in the direction of Competitiveness. By focussing on fiscal responsibility, Digital transformation and the development new growth markets will lay the foundations for a Europe of tomorrow that is capable of defence and competitive.

Against the historic backdrop of the Göttweig Abbey the focus shifts to the Political and global strategy. We discuss the design of new alliances, the Strengthening regional capacity to act and a sustainable Migration management. The conclusion is the Readjustment of the Austrian and European foreign policy compass in the global field of tension between the USA and China. Including national and international perspectives, we build the bridge From regional stability to global political responsibility and place the leitmotif of sovereignty in the context of a multipolar security order.

Program

This provisional programme is updated and detailed on an ongoing basis. Major changes or postponements cannot be ruled out.

Mon, 18.05.

NÖ Europatag & Festakt

Auditorium Grafenegg

5.00 pm

Participation on Europe Day, Grafenegg

Grafenegg Auditorium

5.00 pm - 9.00 pm

Alexander Van der Bellen, Federal President, Austria
Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria
Norbert Lammert, Former President of the German Bundestag
Jie Mei, Founding Professor, Interdisciplinary Transformation University
Moderation: Barbara Fleißner, Moderator

Artistic accompaniment: European Union Youth Orchestra, EUYO, Europaballett St. Pölten

Tue, 19.05.

Technology

Campus Krems

09.00 am

Coffee

10.00 am

European Security Architecture: From the End of Order to Joint Initiative?

Campus Krems, Campus Hallpresented by Austrian Armed Forces

10.00 am - 10.30 am

Klaudia Tanner, Minister of Defence, Austria
Nikolaos Dendias, Minister of National Defence, Greece
Anatolia Nosatîi, Minister of National Defence, Republic of Moldova
Moderation: Bettina Blumenthal, Moderator

10.30 am

Under Pressure: Strategic Realities and the Modernisation of Austria's Defence in a changing security Landscape

Campus Krems, Campus Hallpresented by Konrad Adenauer Foundation Vienna

10.30 am - 12.00 pm

Harald Vodosek, National Armaments Director, Austria
Markus Reisner, Military analyst, Austria
Carlo Masala, Professorship, University of the Federal Armed Forces Munich
Martin Schiefer, Lawyer and Partner, Schiefer Rechtsanwälte GmbH
Moderation: Sebastian Enskat, Head of Vienna Office, Konrad Adenauer Foundation

12.00 pm

Lunch Reception by the Austrian minister of Defence

Campus Krems

12.00 pm - 1.30 pm

1.30 pm, Panel A

Changes in the healthcare system & Lower Austria's response

Campus Krems, Science Hallpresented by NÖ Landesgesundheitsagentur

1.30 pm - 2.30 pm

Peter McDonald, Chairman, Austrian Health Insurance Fund
Elisabeth Bräutigam, Chairwoman, Lower Austrian Health Agency
Anton Kasser, Provincial Councillor, Lower Austria
Moderation: Sebastian Mörth, Intuitive Futures Forum Berlin

1.30 pm, Panel B

Digital sovereignty: Can Europe still catch up?

Campus Krems, Campus Hall

1.30 pm - 2.30 pm

Alexander Pröll, State Secretary for Digitalisation, Austria
Iulian Cosmin Margeloiu, State Secretary, Ministry of Economy, Romania
Patricia Neumann, CEO, Siemens AG Austria
Alexander Windbichler, Founder and CEO, Anexia Holding
Michael Krammer, Founder, Ventocom GmbH
Thomas Arnoldner, Deputy CEO, A1 Telekom Austria Group
Moderation: Bettina Blumenthal, Moderator

2.30 pm, Panel A

Health & Safety Policy: Medicines as a Strategic Resource

Campus Krems, Science Hallpresented by PHARMIG

2.30 pm - 3.30 pm

Monika Köppl-Turyna, Director, EcoAustria Institute for Economic Research
Stefan Hendriks, Senior Vice President and Head of the Western European Cluster, Novartis
Walter Feichtinger, President, Centre for Strategic Analyses
Anton Kasser, Provincial Councillor, Lower Austria
Markus Müller, Rector, Medical University of Vienna
Moderation: Martina Salomon, Editor, Courier

2.30 pm, Panel B

Defence & security policy: Industrial cooperation and regional opportunities

Campus Krems, Campus Hallpresented by ecoplus

2.30 pm - 3.30 pm

Ronald Vartok, Head of the Directorate for Defence Policy and International Relations, BMLV
Reinhard Marak, Head, WKÖ Crisis Management and Security Preparedness Unit
Peter Koren, Vice Secretary General, Federation of Austrian Industries
Claus Zeppelzauer, Authorised signatory, ecoplus and Managing Director, ecoplus Digital GmbH
Nicolas Stockhammer, Political scientist, Department for Security Research, University for Continuing Education Krems
Markus Singer, Attorney at Law, Singer & Kessler Rechtsanwälte GmbH
Moderation: Heinz Stiastny, Member of the Executive Board, Centre for Risk and Crisis Management

3.30 pm

Break & Change of Location

4.00 pm, Salon A

Google AI Salon

Campus Krems, Campus Hallpresented by Google

4.00 pm - 6.00 pm

Valeriia Koval, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation, Ukraine
Alexander Pröll, State Secretary for Digitalisation, Austria
Christine Antlanger-Winter, Managing Director, Google Austria and Switzerland
Moderation: Anton Aschwanden, Government Affairs and Public Policy, Google Switzerland & Austria

Digital Resilience in Action - Building a Digital State under fire

4.00 pm, Salon B

Democracy, Power, and the Media

Campus Krems, Rudolf Mallinger Auditoriumpresented by Millstätter Wirtschaftsgespräche

4.00 pm - 5.00 pm

Norbert Lammert, Former President of the German Bundestag
Anna Thalhammer, Editor-in-chief and publisher, Profil
Martina Salomon, Editor, Courier
Daniel Kosak, Special Advisor to the Minister of Defence, former Head of Strategy under Karl Nehammer
Rainer Nowak, Managing Director, Press
Eva Weissenberger, Austrian journalist, media manager and author
Markus Gruber, Co-Initiator Millstätter Wirtschaftsgespräche & Managing Director GPK Group

4.00 pm, Salon C

IDM Danube-Salon

Campus Krems, Science Hallpresented by the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM)

4.00 pm - 6.00 pm

Harald Stranzl, National Coordinator EU Strategy for the Danube Region and the Alpine Region, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Austria
Martin Eichtinger, Director, Diplomatic Academy of Vienna
Vadym Shkarivskyi, Deputy Chairman, Odessa Regional Council; Chairman, ARGE Donauländer
Simon Ortner, Head of the Department for International and European Affairs, Office of the Provincial Government of Lower Austria
Razvan Stefan Rab, National Coordinator of the EUSDR, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Romania
Moderation: Sophia Beiter, Research Associate, Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM)
Moderation: Sebastian Schäffer, Director, Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM)

6.00 pm

Break & Change of Location

6.30 pm

Evening Reception, Campus Krems

Campus Kremspresented by Schiefer Attorneys at Law

6.30 pm - 7.30 pm

Martin Schiefer, Lawyer and Partner, Schiefer Rechtsanwälte GmbH

Bread and wine

Wed, 20.05.

Economy

Campus Krems

09.00 am

Coffee

10.00 am

From Regional Strength to European Leadership: Rethinking Competitiveness and Resilience

Campus Krems, Campus Hallpresented by Federal Chancellery

10.00 am - 11.00 am

Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria
Taras Kachka, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Ukraine
Claudia Bauer, Minister for Europe, Austria
Marek Eštok, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Slovak Republic
Milena Hrdinková, Beraterin des Prime Ministers für EU-Angelegenheiten / Chief Diplomatic Adviser for EU Affairs / EUCO Sherpa, Czech Republic
Moderation: Barbara Fleißner, Moderator

11.00 am

Competitiveness or Irrelevance: Why Europe Needs an Economic Turnaround

Campus Krems, Campus Hallpresented by REWE International AG

11.00 am - 12.00 pm

Astrid Hamker, President, Economic Council of the CDU, Germany
Marcel Haraszti, Management Board, REWE International AG
Manuel Zeller, Founder and Managing Director, NEOH
Iulian Cosmin Margeloiu, State Secretary, Ministry of Economy, Romania
Michael Höllerer, General Manager, Raiffeisen Lower Austria-Vienna
Moderation: Barbara Fleißner, Moderator

12.00 pm

Lunch Reception by REWE International AG

Campus Krems

12.00 pm - 1.30 pm

Marcel Haraszti, Management Board, REWE International AG

1.30 pm, Panel A

International Partnership: Driving Growth from the Alps to the Gulf

Campus Krems, Campus Hall

1.30 pm - 2.30 pm

Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, Minister of Economic Affairs, Austria
Fahad Al Gergawi, Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Trade, United Arab Emirates
Edith Hlawati, Sole Director, Österreich Beteiligungs AG
Kari Ochsner, President, Federation of Austrian Industries Lower Austria
Moderation: Barbara Fleißner, Moderator

1.30 pm, Panel B

Powering Europe's Energy Sovereignty through Innovation

Campus Krems, Science Hall

1.30 pm - 2.30 pm

Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, CEO, Hydrogen Europe
Lukas Renz, Founder, HydroSolid GmbH
Robert Schweizer, Managing Director, BioPower GmbH
Martin Blochberger, Founder, Bloch3
Viktoria Weber, Rector, University for Continuing Education Krems
Ulrike Prommer, Managing Director, IMC Krems - University of Applied Sciences
Andrea Olschewski, Rector, Karl Landsteiner Private University for Health Sciences GmbH
Moderation: Bettina Blumenthal, Moderator

2.30 pm, Panel A

Europe's Energy Future: Bridging East and West

Campus Krems, Campus Hallpresented by APG & EVN

2.30 pm - 3.30 pm

Elisabeth Zehetner, State Secretary for Energy and Startups, Austria
Naser Nuredini, Former Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, Republic of North Macedonia
Gerhard Christiner, Spokesman of the Management Board & Technical Director, Austrian Power Grid AG
Stefan Stallinger, Chief Executive Officer, EVN AG
Moderation: Barbara Fleißner, Moderator

2.30 pm, Panel B

Fostering economic growth in Europe - Unlocking potential - Strengthening autonomy

Campus Krems, Science Hallpresented by Bankenverband

2.30 pm - 3.30 pm

Gerald Resch, Secretary General, Bankers Association
Enver Siručić, CFO, BAWAG Group and President, Bankers Association
Alexander Mülhaupt, Managing Director, Roche Austria GmbH
Moderation: Sandra Baierl, Journalist, Kurier (Moderation)

3.30 pm

Break & Change of Location

4.00 pm, Salon A

Innovation Circle Start-Up Salon

Campus Krems, Science Hallpresented by Innovation Circle

4.00 pm - 5.30 pm

Elisabeth Zehetner, State Secretary for Energy and Startups, Austria
Johannes Ferner, CEO, fiskaly GmbH
Philipp Bohrn, Managing Director, Bitpanda
Hannah Wundsam, Co-Managing Director, Austrian Startups
Alex Adamopoulos, CEO, Emergn
Moderation: Selina Kümmeringer, Co-Founder The Democratic Spin, Germany
Moderation: Michael Stadlmann, Moderation

4.00 pm, Salon B

IV Lower Austria New Markets Salon

Winegrower Kremspresented by IV Lower Austria

4.00 pm - 5.30 pm

Kari Ochsner, President, Federation of Austrian Industries Lower Austria
Maksym Kozytskyy, Governor, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine
Anna Derevyanko, Director, European Business Association, Ukraine
Wolfgang Anzengruber, Government Coordinator for Ukraine Reconstruction, BMEIA
Shambhu S. Kumaran, Ambassador of India in Vienna
Margarete Schramböck, Former Federal Minister for Digitalisation and Business Location, Austria
Michelle Hadwiger, Director, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, USA
Moderation: Barbara Fleißner, Moderator

4.00 pm, Salon C

Salon Z

Winery Docknerpresented by Pantarhei Corporate Advisors

4.00 pm - 5.30 pm

Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria
Gerda Füricht-Fiegl, Vice Rector, University of Applied Sciences Burgenland GmbH
Oliver Drewes, Managing Partner Brussels, Pantharei Advisors
Moderation: Markus Schindler, Founder and CEO, Pantarhei Advisors

4.00 pm, Salon D

ÖAG US Ambassadors Salon

Danube Private Universitypresented by Austrian-American Society

4.00 pm - 6.00 pm

Arthur Graham Fisher, Ambassador of the USA in Vienna
Martin Hörmann, Director Government Relations, Microsoft Austria
Johannes Dobretsberger, JLP Health GmbH and Vice President of the Austrian-American Society
Moderation: Sandra Baierl, Journalist, Kurier (Moderation)

6.00 pm

Break & Change of Location

6.30 pm

Danube Cruise and Evening Reception hosted by Forum's President

MS Dürnsteinpresented by Raiffeisen

6.30 pm - 9.00 pm

Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria
Michael Linhart, President, Europa-Forum Wachau
Reinhard Karl, Deputy General Manager, Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederösterreich-Wien
Valerie Brunner, RBI Board Member CIB Customer Coverage

Artistic accompaniment: Traditional brass band Dürnstein

Thu, 21.05.

Politics

Stift Göttweig

09.00 am

Coffee

10.00 am

New Alliances in a Fragmented World

Göttweig Abbey, Summer Refectory & Altmanni Hallpresented by Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs

10.00 am - 11.00 am

Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Foreign Minister, Austria
The Honourable Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof, Minister of Foreign Affairs II, Brunei Darussalam
Moderation: Christian Ultsch, Deputy Editor-in-Chief & Head of Foreign Policy Department, Die Presse

11.00 am, Panel A

Power Regions Initiative

Göttweig Abbey, summer refectorypresented by Land NÖ - Europe & International Affairs

11.00 am - 12.00 pm

Rachel de Basso, Chairwoman of the Regional Board, Jönköping Region, Sweden
Sari Rautio, Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the Committee of the Regions
Jaume Duch Guillot, Regional Minister for EU and Foreign Affairs, Catalonia
Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria
Moderation: Alison Hunter, Senior Advisor, European Policy Centre

11.00 am, Panel B

Deep Dive with Beate Meinl-Reisinger

Göttweig Abbey, Altmannisaal

11.00 am - 12.00 pm

Gerhard Karner, Minister of the Interior, Austria
Moderation: Christian Ultsch, Deputy Editor-in-Chief & Head of Foreign Policy Department, Die Presse

12.00 pm

Lunch Reception with the Governor of Lower Austria Johanna Mikl-Leitner

Göttweig Abbey, Danube Terrace

12.00 pm - 1.30 pm

Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria

1.30 pm

Europe's Turning Point: Managing Migration, Ensuring Security

Göttweig Abbey, Summer Refectory & Altmanni Hall

1.30 pm - 2.30 pm

Magnus Brunner, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration
Gerhard Karner, Minister of the Interior, Austria
Gerald Knaus, Founding Chairman, European Stability Initiative's
Vít Rakušan, Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Czech Republic
Besfort Lamallari, Minister of the Interior, Republic of Albania
Moderation: Cornelia Ertl, Moderator

2.30 pm, Panel A

Deep Dive with Magnus Brunner

Göttweig Abbey, Altmannisaal

2.30 pm - 3.30 pm

Magnus Brunner, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration
Moderation: Anna Gabriel, Journalist, Die Presse (Moderation)

2.30 pm, Panel B

Location competition, free trade, resilience - time for change?

Göttweig Abbey, summer refectory

2.30 pm - 3.30 pm

Sabine Herlitschka, CEO, Infineon Technologies Austria AG
Chris Thomale, Professor of International Corporate and Business Law, University of Vienna
Tobias Thomas, Deputy Chairman of the Austrian Productivity Council and Professor of Economic Policy, University of Graz
Eva Maria Liebmann, Deputy Secretary General, WKO
Moderation: Georg Adler, Special Advisor for Internal Market & Competitiveness, Cabinet of the Federal Chancellor

3.30 pm

Break & Change of Location

4.00 pm, Salon A

Prosperity Under Pressure: Europe's Demographic Challenge

Göttweig Abbey, summer refectorypresented by Campus Tivoli

4.00 pm - 5.00 pm

Holger Bonin, Scientific Director, Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS)

Prosperity Under Pressure: Europe's Demographic Challenge

4.00 pm, Salon B

Future Politics Salon

Göttweig Abbey, Altmannisaalpresented by Innovation Circle

4.00 pm - 6.00 pm

Meltem Seker, Political scientist & content creator, Germany
Selina Kümmeringer, Co-Founder The Democratic Spin, Germany
Andreas Grassl, Geopolitical commentator and influencer
Moderation: Michael Stadlmann, Moderation

4.00 pm, Salon C

Europe in the Crossfire of Power Politics

Göttweig Abbey, St Cecilia's Hallpresented by Konrad Adenauer Foundation Vienna

4.00 pm - 6.00 pm

Elisabeth Hoffberger-Pippan, Security expert
Ulrich Schlie, Professor, University of Bonn
Frank Priess, Political scientist and journalist, des. Head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation's Turkey office
Arthur Kroen, Freelance author and founder, Our Continent
Moderation: Sebastian Enskat, Head of Vienna Office, Konrad Adenauer Foundation

4.00 pm, Salon D

Gerstbauer Strategic Wine Salon

Göttweig Abbey Restaurantpresented by Gerstbauer Strategic

4.00 pm - 6.00 pm

Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria
Moderation: Gerald Gerstbauer, CEO, Sprenger-Gerstbauer Consulting GmbH

Exclusive wine tasting featuring wines from the renowned winery Anton Bauer.

6.00 pm

Break & Change of Location

6.30 pm

Evening Reception, Winzerhof Dockner

Winery Dockner

6.30 pm - 8.00 pm

Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria

Bread and wine

Fri, 22.05.

Global

Stift Göttweig

09.00 am

Coffee

10.00 am

A New European Security Order: What's Austria's Role in a Shifting World?

Göttweig Abbey, Summer Refectory & Altmanni Hall

10.00 am - 11.30 am

Christian Stocker, Federal Chancellor, Austria
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Former NATO Secretary General and Prime Minister, Denmark
Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria
Michael Linhart, President, Europa-Forum Wachau
Patrick Schöder, Abbot, Göttweig Benedictine Abbey
Moderation: Barbara Fleißner, Moderator

11.30 am, Panel A

Chancellor's Dialogue: Austria's Strategic Compass

Göttweig Abbey, summer refectory

11.30 am - 12.30 pm

Christian Stocker, Federal Chancellor, Austria
Moderation: Johanna Hager, Head of Domestic Policy, Kurier

11.30 am, Panel B

Deep Dive with Anders Fogh Rasmussen

Göttweig Abbey, Altmannisaal

11.30 am - 12.30 pm

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Former NATO Secretary General and Prime Minister, Denmark
Moderation: Christian Ultsch, Deputy Editor-in-Chief & Head of Foreign Policy Department, Die Presse

12.30 pm

Lunch Reception by the Federal Chancellor

Göttweig Abbey, Danube Terrace

12.30 pm - 2.00 pm

Christian Stocker, Federal Chancellor, Austria
Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria

Speaker

Alex Adamopoulos

CEO, Emergn

Georg Adler

Special Advisor for Internal Market & Competitiveness, Cabinet of the Federal Chancellor

Fahad Al Gergawi

Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Trade, United Arab Emirates

Christine Antlanger-Winter

Managing Director, Google Austria and Switzerland

Wolfgang Anzengruber

Government Coordinator for Ukraine Reconstruction, BMEIA

Thomas Arnoldner

Deputy CEO, A1 Telekom Austria Group

Anton Aschwanden

Government Affairs and Public Policy, Google Switzerland & Austria

Sandra Baierl

Journalist, Kurier (Moderation)

Claudia Bauer

Minister for Europe, Austria

Sophia Beiter

Research Associate, Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM)

Martin Blochberger

Founder, Bloch3

Bettina Blumenthal

Moderator

Philipp Bohrn

Managing Director, Bitpanda

Holger Bonin

Scientific Director, Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS)

Elisabeth Bräutigam

Chairwoman, Lower Austrian Health Agency

Magnus Brunner

EU Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration

Valerie Brunner

RBI Board Member CIB Customer Coverage

Jorgo Chatzimarkakis

CEO, Hydrogen Europe

Gerhard Christiner

Spokesman of the Management Board & Technical Director, Austrian Power Grid AG

Rachel de Basso

Chairwoman of the Regional Board, Jönköping Region, Sweden

Nikolaos Dendias

Minister of National Defence, Greece

Anna Derevyanko

Director, European Business Association, Ukraine

Johannes Dobretsberger

JLP Health GmbH and Vice President of the Austrian-American Society

Oliver Drewes

Managing Partner Brussels, Pantharei Advisors

Jaume Duch Guillot

Regional Minister for EU and Foreign Affairs, Catalonia

Martin Eichtinger

Director, Diplomatic Academy of Vienna

Sebastian Enskat

Head of Vienna Office, Konrad Adenauer Foundation

Cornelia Ertl

Moderator

Marek Eštok

State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Slovak Republic

Walter Feichtinger

President, Centre for Strategic Analyses

Francesca Ferlaino

Scientist of the Year

Johannes Ferner

CEO, fiskaly GmbH

Arthur Graham Fisher

Ambassador of the USA in Vienna

Barbara Fleißner

Moderator

Gerda Füricht-Fiegl

Vice Rector, University of Applied Sciences Burgenland GmbH

Anna Gabriel

Journalist, Die Presse (Moderation)

Gerald Gerstbauer

CEO, Sprenger-Gerstbauer Consulting GmbH

Andreas Grassl

Geopolitical commentator and influencer

Markus Gruber

Co-Initiator Millstätter Wirtschaftsgespräche & Managing Director GPK Group

Michelle Hadwiger

Director, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, USA

Johanna Hager

Head of Domestic Policy, Kurier

Astrid Hamker

President, Economic Council of the CDU, Germany

Marcel Haraszti

Management Board, REWE International AG

Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer

Minister of Economic Affairs, Austria

Stefan Hendriks

Senior Vice President and Head of the Western European Cluster, Novartis

Sabine Herlitschka

CEO, Infineon Technologies Austria AG

Edith Hlawati

Sole Director, Österreich Beteiligungs AG

Elisabeth Hoffberger-Pippan

Security expert

Michael Höllerer

General Manager, Raiffeisen Lower Austria-Vienna

Martin Hörmann

Director Government Relations, Microsoft Austria

Milena Hrdinková

Beraterin des Prime Ministers für EU-Angelegenheiten / Chief Diplomatic Adviser for EU Affairs / EUCO Sherpa, Czech Republic

Alison Hunter

Senior Advisor, European Policy Centre

Taras Kachka

Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Ukraine

Reinhard Karl

Deputy General Manager, Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederösterreich-Wien

Gerhard Karner

Minister of the Interior, Austria

Anton Kasser

Provincial Councillor, Lower Austria

Gerald Knaus

Founding Chairman, European Stability Initiative's

Monika Köppl-Turyna

Director, EcoAustria Institute for Economic Research

Peter Koren

Vice Secretary General, Federation of Austrian Industries

Daniel Kosak

Special Advisor to the Minister of Defence, former Head of Strategy under Karl Nehammer

Valeriia Koval

Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation, Ukraine

Maksym Kozytskyy

Governor, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine

Michael Krammer

Founder, Ventocom GmbH

Arthur Kroen

Freelance author and founder, Our Continent

Shambhu S. Kumaran

Ambassador of India in Vienna

Selina Kümmeringer

Co-Founder The Democratic Spin, Germany

Besfort Lamallari

Minister of the Interior, Republic of Albania

Norbert Lammert

Former President of the German Bundestag

Eva Maria Liebmann

Deputy Secretary General, WKO

Michael Linhart

President, Europa-Forum Wachau

Reinhard Marak

Head, WKÖ Crisis Management and Security Preparedness Unit

Iulian Cosmin Margeloiu

State Secretary, Ministry of Economy, Romania

Carlo Masala

Professorship, University of the Federal Armed Forces Munich

Peter McDonald

Chairman, Austrian Health Insurance Fund

Jie Mei

Founding Professor, Interdisciplinary Transformation University

Beate Meinl-Reisinger

Foreign Minister, Austria

Johanna Mikl-Leitner

Governor of Lower Austria

Sebastian Mörth

Intuitive Futures Forum Berlin

Alexander Mülhaupt

Managing Director, Roche Austria GmbH

Markus Müller

Rector, Medical University of Vienna

Patricia Neumann

CEO, Siemens AG Austria

Anatolia Nosatîi

Minister of National Defence, Republic of Moldova

Rainer Nowak

Managing Director, Press

Naser Nuredini

Former Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, Republic of North Macedonia

Kari Ochsner

President, Federation of Austrian Industries Lower Austria

Andrea Olschewski

Rector, Karl Landsteiner Private University for Health Sciences GmbH

Simon Ortner

Head of the Department for International and European Affairs, Office of the Provincial Government of Lower Austria

The Honourable Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof

Minister of Foreign Affairs II, Brunei Darussalam

Frank Priess

Political scientist and journalist, des. Head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation's Turkey office

Alexander Pröll

State Secretary for Digitalisation, Austria

Ulrike Prommer

Managing Director, IMC Krems - University of Applied Sciences

Razvan Stefan Rab

National Coordinator of the EUSDR, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Romania

Vít Rakušan

Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Czech Republic

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

Former NATO Secretary General and Prime Minister, Denmark

Sari Rautio

Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the Committee of the Regions

Markus Reisner

Military analyst, Austria

Lukas Renz

Founder, HydroSolid GmbH

Gerald Resch

Secretary General, Bankers Association

Martina Salomon

Editor, Courier

Sebastian Schäffer

Director, Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM)

Martin Schiefer

Lawyer and Partner, Schiefer Rechtsanwälte GmbH

Markus Schindler

Founder and CEO, Pantarhei Advisors

Ulrich Schlie

Professor, University of Bonn

Patrick Schöder

Abbot, Göttweig Benedictine Abbey

Margarete Schramböck

Former Federal Minister for Digitalisation and Business Location, Austria

Robert Schweizer

Managing Director, BioPower GmbH

Meltem Seker

Political scientist & content creator, Germany

Vadym Shkarivskyi

Deputy Chairman, Odessa Regional Council; Chairman, ARGE Donauländer

Markus Singer

Attorney at Law, Singer & Kessler Rechtsanwälte GmbH

Enver Siručić

CFO, BAWAG Group and President, Bankers Association

Michael Stadlmann

Moderation

Stefan Stallinger

Chief Executive Officer, EVN AG

Heinz Stiastny

Member of the Executive Board, Centre for Risk and Crisis Management

Christian Stocker

Federal Chancellor, Austria

Nicolas Stockhammer

Political scientist, Department for Security Research, University for Continuing Education Krems

Harald Stranzl

National Coordinator EU Strategy for the Danube Region and the Alpine Region, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Austria

Klaudia Tanner

Minister of Defence, Austria

Anna Thalhammer

Editor-in-chief and publisher, Profil

Chris Thomale

Professor of International Corporate and Business Law, University of Vienna

Tobias Thomas

Deputy Chairman of the Austrian Productivity Council and Professor of Economic Policy, University of Graz

Christian Ultsch

Deputy Editor-in-Chief & Head of Foreign Policy Department, Die Presse

Alexander Van der Bellen

Federal President, Austria

Ronald Vartok

Head of the Directorate for Defence Policy and International Relations, BMLV

Harald Vodosek

National Armaments Director, Austria

Viktoria Weber

Rector, University for Continuing Education Krems

Eva Weissenberger

Austrian journalist, media manager and author

Alexander Windbichler

Founder and CEO, Anexia Holding

Hannah Wundsam

Co-Managing Director, Austrian Startups

Elisabeth Zehetner

State Secretary for Energy and Startups, Austria

Manuel Zeller

Founder and Managing Director, NEOH

Claus Zeppelzauer

Authorised signatory, ecoplus and Managing Director, ecoplus Digital GmbH

FAQs

When and where will the Europa Forum Wachau 2026 take place?

The 30th Europa-Forum Wachau will take place from 18 to 22 May 2026 at several locations:

Grafenegg Auditorium (Grafenegg 12, 3485 Grafenegg)
Campus Krems (Kasernstraße 60, 3500 Krems an der Donau)
Göttweig Benedictine Abbey (Göttweig Abbey 1, 3511 Furth bei Göttweig)
Danube Private University - House of Science and Art (Unterloiben 51, 3601 Dürnstein)
Vinotheque cellar Bründlgraben of the Krems winegrowers (Bründlgraben 12, 3500 Krems an der Donau)
Winzerhof Dockner (Ortsstraße 30, 3508 Höbenbach)
Anton Bauer Winery (Neufang 42, 3483 Feuersbrunn)
Danube boat MS Austria (departure from Danube station no. 25, Gregor-Hradetzky-Promenade, 3500 Krems)

Which tickets can be booked?

You can choose your individual Europa-Forum Wachau programme and our booking system will create the necessary Europe Forum Pass. The more days you select, the cheaper the individual days will be:

1-Day-Ticket: € 360,-

2-Day-Ticket: € 660,- (instead of € 720,-)

3-Day-Ticket: € 940,- (instead of € 1.080,-)

4-Day-Ticket: € 1.200,- (instead of € 1.440,-)

All tickets entitle the holder to attend the opening event on 18 May in the Auditorium Grafenegg, the evening events on the booked day and the evening before and include lunch on the selected day(s).

Where can I get help with my room booking?

The staff at the Wachau Info Centre Krems can advise you on accommodation options in the region.

Is there a shuttle bus?

In cooperation with our mobility partner ÖBB, a shuttle service will be organised from and to Krems railway station and between the various locations of the Europa-Forum Wachau.

How and where do I register?

Registration is possible at all venues and for all booked sessions on the same day. Please be sure to bring your ticket with the corresponding QR code (in electronic or printed form) as well as your passport (for EU citizens, an ID card is also acceptable).

Is there an event app?

Yes, one week before the start of Europa-Forum Wachau 2026, you can download the app free of charge from your mobile phone's app store and personalise it with your registration code (see ticket). You will not only find your personal programme in the app, but also lots of other useful and up-to-date information.

How is my safety ensured?

The safety of guests is a top priority for the organisers. Only authorised persons are permitted to enter all event locations. You are therefore required to present an official photo ID (passport or identity card for EU citizens) when entering the event venues and to carry it with you at all times during the Europa-Forum Wachau. The lanyard and wristband issued at registration are non-transferable. Any violation of this policy may result in immediate exclusion from participation in the forum.

In the event of a medical or other emergency, please contact one of the members of the organisation team.