Senior lawmakers, defense analysts, and civil society leaders from across Europe, Israel, and the Middle East gathered Sunday in Paris to open the 2025 International Policy Conference (EIPC), hosted by the European Leadership Network (ELNET). The annual event serves as a high-level platform for addressing threats to Western democratic values and security cooperation, with this year’s discussions centering on growing authoritarian influence and internal vulnerabilities within democratic states.
ELNET France CEO Dr. Arié Bensemhoun opened the proceedings with a stark appeal to moral clarity and collective determination. “Now the world is black and white. Either you stand on democratic principles, or you don’t,” he said, warning that the future of democratic societies depends on their ability to confront rising aggression.
A key panel featured Latvian Member of the European Parliament Rihards Kols and Israeli Member of Knesset Orit Farkash-Hacohen, who debated the primary sources of danger to democracies – whether from foreign autocratic coalitions or domestic fragmentation and fear. Kols, who serves on the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, argued that internal paralysis driven by fear is the most immediate threat.
