Ganna Sarybaieva took part in the Pan-European Congress held in Vienna from 1 to 4 October 2026, marking the centenary of the first Pan-European Congress, which took place in Vienna in 1926.
A century later, Vienna once again became a space for reflection on Europe’s future - its political unity, security, democratic resilience, the rule of law, and its capacity to respond to new geopolitical challenges. The Congress brought together political leaders, representatives of civil society, academia, and Pan-European organisations from across Europe.
For Ukrainian participants, the address by Vitali Klitschko, Mayor of Kyiv, was particularly meaningful. His speech was both deeply personal and profoundly European: speaking of a Ukraine that is defending not only its own freedom, but also the security and democratic future of Europe. His words carried a particular sense of shared European belonging: not a call for support from outside, but a reminder of our common European destiny and our responsibility to preserve peace, freedom and democracy.
The presence of Karl von Habsburg, Honorary President of the Pan-European Movement Austria, added an important historical dimension to the Congress. The history of the Pan-European movement is inseparable from the idea of Europe as a political community capable of overcoming division and acting together. Following the Second World War, this vision was further developed and carried forward by Otto von Habsburg, who served as President of the International Paneuropean Union from 1973 to 2004.
Today, this intellectual legacy acquires renewed significance. The Vienna Declaration adopted at the Congress calls for a strong, democratic and geopolitically capable Europe and reaffirms Ukraine’s European perspective. It connects the future of the European order with security, freedom, the rule of law and continued support for Ukraine.
For the Open Dialogue Platform, participation in this dialogue reflects the Platform’s broader engagement with questions at the heart of its work: Europe’s future, the rule of law, democratic resilience, Ukraine’s place within the European space, and the role of civil society in shaping a common European future.
A century after the first Pan-European Congress, its fundamental question remains strikingly relevant: what kind of Europe do we need in order not only to preserve its values, but also to have the capacity to defend them?
Today, Ukraine is an integral part of that European conversation.
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