In this year’s A Speech to Europe – The European Moment – the renowned historian and author Anne Applebaum explores whether Europe’s moment has arrived and what characterises this historic juncture. Whereas systems of oppression, violence and authoritarian control were until recently regarded as anomalies in the West, they are now increasingly seen as viable models of society and government.
But what options does Europe have in the face of a crumbling world order? Which insights from the experiences of the 20th century will inform this decision? Will the ‘Old World’ succeed in positioning itself as a credible alternative to the return of backward-looking ideas? Applebaum is convinced: how Europe answers these questions will shape not only Europe’s course, but also the fate of the world.

Since 2019 A Speech to Europe, initiated by the ERSTE Foundation, has provided a fundamental reflection on the present and future of Europe. With its venue, Vienna’s Judenplatz, serving as a reminder that Europe can only be understood in the mirror of its history. Speakers in previous years have included Timothy Snyder, Oleksandra Matviychuk, Omri Boehm and Lea Ypi.

A joint project of the Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) | Free Republic of Vienna, Erste Foundation, and the Institute for Human Sciences
In cooperation with the Jewish Museum Vienna