Hamburg – ESI on the success of European integration and its threats

21 November 2025
Berlin in Winter, Photo: flickr/Ondre
Hamburg. Photo: flickr/ Michaela Loheit

ESI’s Gerald Knaus gave a keynote speech to the annual meeting of the Association of German Insurance Brokers in Hamburg.

Gerald began by examining how much has changed in Europe in a mere hundred years – from two of the most deadly wars in human history to the peace and prosperity of today. Yet,  the threat of war was never truly eliminated. In the Balkans and Caucasus, nationalists continued to wage war and commit crimes. Today, nationalists have once again thrust war and social conflict to the heart of the European agenda with the war in Ukraine and the rise of the identitarian far-right. This resulting instability has led to massive population movements, which the illiberal far-right has ironically seized on to create a narrative of chaos and national decline.

In response, Gerald noted we must remain firm in declaring the success of the European integration project and the danger at the heart of the nationalists’ movement. Gerald noted how integration was able to overcome nationalist conflicts from Schleswig-Holstein, on Hamburg’s doorstep, and bring peace in the Baltic Sea. Yet, if far-right nationalists such as Putin or the AfD have their way, these gains could quickly be reversed. Thus, Europe must recommit to the principles of unity and integration which made its successes possible, increasing its defence cooperation and continuing to form an ever closer union with a basis in human rights and the rule of law.