‘We’re already at war – we’re just acting as though we’re not’
‘Our infrastructure is under attack, elections are being influenced and political assassinations being committed. We’re already at war – it just looks different.’ Professor of International Relations Daniel Thomas is clear: anyone taking peace in Europe for granted is shutting their eyes to reality.
During the Just Peace Dialogues in The Hague, Thomas will call for greater awareness – and dialogue.
Festival in the run-up to NATO Summit
The seven Just Peace Dialogues will be held from 16 to 22 June and are part of the Just Peace Festival. The festival has been organised by Leiden University, The Hague Humanity Hub and the Municipality of The Hague in the run-up to the NATO Summit later that month. In open sessions, academics and policymakers will join the public in discussing security, justice, international cooperation and more.
Thomas will take part in the Peace in Europe dialogue that addresses the uncomfortable yet urgent question of: How do you deal with a peace that no longer exists?
Peace models
Thomas approaches this from a clear historical and theoretical perspective. ‘Europe has had various peacekeeping models over the past 150 years. Since 1945, we have combined two approaches: a military deterrent and the Kantian model of democracy, economic cooperation and stable international institutions. Both are now under pressure.’
Democratic regimes are faltering, economic cooperation is under fire and trust in international rules is crumbling. At the same time, the American peace guarantee is no longer a certainty. ‘Europe has to realise that it needs to take responsibility for its own security. That takes political courage but public acceptance too.’
‘The peace project will collapse if society is not involved. You can maintain a nuclear arsenal without public support but not a stable democracy.’
That is what makes dialogue so important, says Thomas. ‘The peace project will collapse if society is not involved. You can maintain a nuclear arsenal without public support but not a stable democracy. People have to understand why sacrifices are needed – and why some forms of “peace” are not worth the paper they’re printed on.’
Difficult choices
What does he hope to gain from the dialogue? ‘I want to hear what the public thinks: whether people are prepared to invest in security, even if that means difficult choices such as increasing taxes to spend more on defence. I know what academics think, but it’s citizens who will make the difference.’
The Just Peace Dialogues are a free event, but registration is required.
- Imagining Peace (16 June 2025, 16:00 - 19:00)
- Peace in Europe (17 June 2025, 16:00 - 19:00)
- Peace in Sudan (18 June 2025, 16:00 - 19:00)
- Peace in Israel-Palestine (19 June, 16:00 - 19:00)
- Democracy and Peace (20 June 2025, 16:00 - 19:00)
- Cybersecurity and Peace (21 June, 14:00 - 17:15)
- Climate and Peace (22 June, 14:00 - 17:15)