Grand Duke Guillaume;
Credit: Screenshot via EIB Group Forum livestream
On Tuesday 3 March 2026, Grand Duke Guillaume attended the Europe Investment Bank (EIB) Group Forum 2026 titled ‘A strong Europe in a changing world’, where he delivered an opening speech addressing European Union (EU) values.
The event brings together representatives of European institutions, governments, the economic and financial sectors, as well as civil society to exchange views on investment priorities and the main economic and geopolitical challenges facing Europe.
Alongside keynote speeches by Nadia Calviño, President of the EIB Group, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, the Grand Duke highlighted the importance of the strategic role of investment to strengthen the competitiveness, sustainability and cohesion of the EU.
“It should remind us that Europe has always advanced by pairing realism with ambition, always trying to put the human being at the centre of its decisions. Today, as we face renewed geopolitical rivalry, a war of aggression on our continent, an escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, and the rise of extremist and Eurosceptic movements, we must once again lift our gaze beyond the immediate,” he said.
Grand Duke Guillaume then underlined the need to protect peace in Europe. He emphasised: “The conflict on our eastern borders remind us with painful clarity that peace is fragile and that the values on which our Union was built are as indispensable today as they were at its birth. Investing in multilateralism is investing in peace. At a time when global tensions rise and international norms have come under increasing strain, the European Union continues to stand as one of the world's most committed champions in multilateralism.”
