Credit: Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Finland

On Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 April 2026, Luxembourg’s Minister of Home Affairs, Léon Gloden, participated in a meeting of the “European Coalition on Civil Preparedness and Resilience” in Helsinki, Finland, accompanied by the High Commissioner for National Protection, Guy Bley.

“In the near future, I hope that all Member States of the European Union will be gathered around this table. We must work together to become more resilient and better prepared for future challenges,” said Minister Gloden.

As reported by Luxembourg’s Ministry of Home Affairs, the coalition met for the third time, ahead of the first anniversary of its creation. Now bringing together eleven European countries, including the Nordic countries, the Baltic states, Poland and the Benelux countries, the coalition was joined by Germany during this meeting.

Former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, author of the recommendations for the EU Preparedness Strategy, shared his reflections on the role of the European Union in an evolving geopolitical and security environment.

The ministers stressed the importance of strengthening preparedness and resilience at all levels, noting that support for Ukraine remains a key element of Europe’s long-term security. Discussions also focused on financing preparedness and strengthening civil-military cooperation. Minister Gloden addressed the civilian dimension of resilience, particularly the role of municipalities and citizens, stating: “Prevent – Prepare – Respond – Recover. To implement a whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach, it is essential to raise public awareness of resilience measures in order to strengthen our collective preparedness.”

The coalition will continue its work at both political and technical levels to contribute to a more prepared and resilient Europe.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Minister Gloden held talks with his Belgian and Dutch counterparts, Bernard Quintin and David van Weel. The three ministers agreed to examine the possibility of highlighting cooperation on resilience within the Benelux Treaty.

Finally, Minister Gloden announced that Luxembourg will host the next meeting of the coalition at the end of 2026.