Copenhagen Democracy Summit 2025 Schedule

Tuesday, May 13

Time

Sessions

08:00 - 09:00

Registration (Agenda times and themes are subject to change)
Registration and Welcome Coffee [Foyer]

09:00 - 09:05

Introduction
Welcome and Opening of Day 1 [Main Stage] Jeanne Meserve (Host and Moderator) – Host of the NatSec Tech podcast and former anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News Gordon Repinski (Moderator) – Executive Editor, Politico Germany

09:05 - 09:15

Welcome Remarks
In Defense of Democracy – Freedom is not Free [Main Stage] Anders Fogh Rasmussen – Founder and Chairman of The Alliance of Democracies Foundation

09:15 - 09:30

Keynote Discussion
Cease-fire and Security Guarantees for Ukraine [Main Stage] Anders Fogh Rasmussen – Founder and Chairman of The Alliance of Democracies Foundation Andriy Yermak – Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine

09:30 - 09:50

Keynote Discussion
Europe’s Defense of Ukraine – What’s at Stake? [Main Stage] Andrej Plenković – Prime Minister of Croatia Gordon Repinski (Moderator) – Executive Editor, Politico Germany

09:50 - 10:00

Presentation
Democracy Perception Index – The New World Order in Numbers [Main Stage] Nico Jaspers – CEO, Nira Data Jeanne Meserve (Host and Moderator) – Host of the NatSec Tech podcast and former anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News

10:00 - 10:25

Keynote Discussion

In Defense of Democracy – A Call to Action [Main Stage]

Anders Fogh Rasmussen – Founder and Chairman of The Alliance of Democracies Foundation
David Cameron – Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Admiral Rob Bauer – Former Chair of the Military Committee of NATO
Jeanne Meserve (Host and Moderator) – Host of the NatSec Tech podcast and former anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News

10:25 - 10:45

Fireside Chat
Defending Democracy on the Frontlines – View from Moldova [Main Stage] Mihail Popșoi – Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Moldova Jan Cienski (Moderator) – Senior Policy Editor at POLITICO in Europe

10:45 - 11:20

Coffee Break
Coffee Break [Foyer]

10:45 - 11:20

Side Event
Meeting: Global Democracy Coalition (GDC) Members Working Group (Invite Only) [Henckel (1st Floor)] Jorge Jraissati – President of the Economic Inclusion Group

11:20 - 11:40

Panel Discussion
What Europe Needs to do now for its Defence [Main Stage] Kajsa Ollongren – Former Minister of Defence, Netherlands Jan Cienski (Moderator) – Senior Policy Editor at POLITICO in Europe

11:40 - 12:00

Keynote Discussion
European Security and Defense of Ukraine [Main Stage] Troels Lund Poulsen – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of Denmark Pierre Collignon (Moderator) – Editor-in-chief at the Danish daily, Berlingske

12:00 - 12:20

Keynote Discussion
Shielding Europe’s Democracy from Hybrid Threats [Main Stage] Michael McGrath – European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Nicholas Vinocur (Moderator) – Editor-at-Large, POLITICO Europe

12:20 - 12:30

Art Installation
Ukraine at War – Introducing Art of Winning and Saint Javelin [Main Stage] Kateryna Mykhalko – Director-General, Tech Force in Ukraine Association (UA) Luke Daschko – Operations & eCommerce, Saint Javelin Jeanne Meserve (Host and Moderator) – Host of the NatSec Tech podcast and former anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News

12:30 - 13:30

Side Event

Roundtable: Rearming for Democracy (Invite Only) [CEO Meeting Room (3rd floor)]

Anders Fogh Rasmussen – Founder and Chairman of The Alliance of Democracies Foundation
Kajsa Ollongren – Former Minister of Defence, Netherlands
Admiral Rob Bauer – Former Chair of the Military Committee of NATO
Fabrice Pothier (Moderator) – Fabrice Pothier, CEO of Rasmussen Global

Roundtable: Seizing Democratic Opportunities? (Invite Only) [Henckel (1st Floor)]

Jerzy Pomianowski – Executive Director of European Endowment for Democracy
Rachel Beatty Riedl – Director of the Center on Global Democracy in the Brooks School of Public Policy.
Tamara Cofman Wittes – President of National Democratic Institute (NDI)
Richard Youngs (Moderator) – Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Roundtable: Democracy Shield: From Strategic Framework to Shared Implementation (Invite Only) [Kørner Lounge (2nd Floor)]

Michael McGrath – European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection
Nanna-Louise Linde – Vice President of European Government Affairs, Microsoft
Annie W. Boyajian – Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at Freedom House
Olaf Böhnke (Moderator) – Berlin Director & Senior Advisor, Alliance of Democracies Foundation and Rasmussen Global

12:30 - 13:45

Networking Lunch
Networking Lunch [Foyer]

13:45 - 14:15

Keynote Discussion
In Defence of European Values and Territory? [Main Stage] Kaja Kallas – EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Nicholas Vinocur (Moderator) – Editor-at-Large, POLITICO Europe

14:15 - 14:35

Panel Discussion
In Defense of Democracy –The Capital Risk Takers [Main Stage] Eveline Buchatskiy – Founding Managing Partner of D3 Jens M. Holst – CEO at AkademikerPension Rob Murray – CEO of the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank Development Group Nicholas Vinocur (Moderator) – Editor-at-Large, POLITICO Europe

14:35 - 14:55

Panel Discussion
In Defense of Democracy – Investing in Freedom not Autocrats [Main Stage] Mathias Döpfner – CEO, Axel Springer SE, Chairman Freedom Foundation Perth Tolle – Founder of Life + Liberty Indexes and sponsor of the Freedom 100 EM ETF (FRDM) Jonas Parello-Plesner (Moderator) – Executive Director, Alliance of Democracies Foundation

14:55 - 15:15

Panel Discussion

In Defense of Democracy – The Innovators [Main Stage]

Kateryna Mykhalko – Director-General, Tech Force in Ukraine Association (UA)
Jamie Fly – Senior Counselor, Palantir Technologies and Senior Fellow at Hudson Institute
Taavi Veskimägi – CEO of Sentris Capital & Founder/Chairman of the Estonian Defence Industry Association
Jan Cienski (Moderator) – Senior Policy Editor at POLITICO in Europe

15:15 - 15:35

Panel Discussion
In Defense of Democracy –The Builders [Main Stage] Dan D. S. Hermansen – Chief Executive Officer at MyDefence A/S Henriette H. Thygesen – CEO & President, Terma Group Karl Rosander – CEO & Co-Founder, Nordic Air Defence Pierre Collignon (Moderator) – Editor-in-chief at the Danish daily, Berlingske

15:35 - 15:55

Keynote Discussion
Navigating a New World Order [Main Stage] Boris Johnson* – Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Gordon Repinski (Moderator) – Executive Editor, Politico Germany

15:55 - 16:25

Coffee Break
Coffee Break [Foyer]

16:25 - 16:45

Keynote Discussion
Navigating a New World Order – View from Canada [Main Stage] Marc Garneau* – Astronaut and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada Jan Cienski (Moderator) – Senior Policy Editor at POLITICO in Europe

16:45 - 17:00

Keynote Discussion
Navigating a New World Order – View from Panama [Main Stage] Manuel Cohen Salerno* – Member of the National Assembly of Panama, Co-Chair, Interparliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) Luke de Pulford (Moderator) – Executive Director, Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC)

17:00 - 17:20

Keynote Discussion
Navigating a New World Order – View from Greenland [Main Stage] Múte Bourup Egede – Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finances and Taxes, former Prime Minister of Greenland Nicholas Vinocur (Moderator) – Editor-at-Large, POLITICO Europe

17:20 - 17:40

Keynote Discussion

USA’s Role in a New World Order [Main Stage]

Nancy Pelosi* – Speaker Emerita of the US House of Representatives
Paul Lettow – Senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI)
Walter R. Mead – Wall Street Journal Columnist and Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute
Jeanne Meserve (Host and Moderator) – Host of the NatSec Tech podcast and former anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News

17:40 - 17:45

Spotlight
Award for Courage with Axel Springer Freedom Foundation [Main Stage] Antje Schippmann – Co-founder and Managing Director of the Axel Springer Freedom Foundation Jonas Parello-Plesner (Moderator) – Executive Director, Alliance of Democracies Foundation

17:45 - 17:55

Award Speech
Standing up for Freedom [Main Stage] Jimmy Lai – Journalist, Publisher, and Prisoner of Conscience, Hong Kong

17:55 - 18:15

Discussion
Zero Day Movie: War in the Taiwan Strait [Main Stage] Hsin-Mei Cheng – Screenwriter and Producer of “Zero Day” Janet J. Hsieh – Actor, TV Host and Author. Vanessa Hope (Moderator) – Film Director, Writer and Producer at Double Hope Films

18:15 - 18:20

Spotlight
Why Taiwan Matters to Europe [Main Stage] Mantas Adomėnas – Secretary General of the Community of Democracies

18:20 - 18:40

Keynote
Defending Taiwan’s Freedom [Main Stage] Tsai Ing-wen – Former President, Taiwan Gordon Repinski (Moderator) – Executive Editor, Politico Germany

18:40 - 18:45

Closing Remarks
Closing Remarks [Main Stage] Anders Fogh Rasmussen – Founder and Chairman of The Alliance of Democracies Foundation Jeanne Meserve (Host and Moderator) – Host of the NatSec Tech podcast and former anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News Gordon Repinski (Moderator) – Executive Editor, Politico Germany

18:45 - 19:15

Reception
Reception: Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) - (Invite only) [Balcony (1st floor)]

18:45 - 20:00

Networking Dinner
Dinner Reception [Foyer]

19:30 - 20:30

Film Premiere
Film Screening – Zero Day [Main Stage] Hsin-Mei Cheng – Screenwriter and Producer of “Zero Day” Janet J. Hsieh – Actor, TV Host and Author.

20:30 - 22:00

Night Owl Session
Tech & Tonic Special - When Democracy and Technology Win? (Optional) [Il Rosmarino Restaurant, 71 Nyhavn Hotel, Copenhagen]

Wednesday, May 14

Time

Sessions

07:00 - 07:45

Democracy Run (Optional)
Run for Democracy! (Optional) [Royal Playhouse North Entrance, Ofelia Plads]

08:15 - 08:50

Breakfast Briefing (Invite Only)
Breakfast event: Launch of The Global Counter Autocracy Knowledge Network with World Liberty Congress (WLC) (Invite Only) [Henckel (1st Floor)]

08:30 - 09:00

Registration (Agenda times and themes are subject to change)
Registration and Welcome Coffee [Main Entrance]

09:00 - 09:05

Introduction
Welcome and Intro to Day 2 [Main Stage] Jeanne Meserve (Host and Moderator) – Host of the NatSec Tech podcast and former anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News Gordon Repinski (Moderator) – Executive Editor, Politico Germany

09:05 - 09:10

Scene setter
Tech Challenges of Tomorrow [Main Stage] Velislava Petrova – Chief Program Officer, Centre for Future Generations (CFG)

09:10 - 09:20

Spotlight
Tech in the New World Order [Main Stage] Marietje Schaake – Fellow, Stanford University and Author for ‘The Tech Coup’

09:20 - 09:30

Spotlight
How Neurotech Can (Re)Define Privacy and Democratic Agency in the Digital Age [Main Stage] Virginia Mahieu – Neurotechnology Director, Centre for Future Generations (CFG)

09:30 - 09:40

Fireside chat
AI and Freedom of Information – Risks, Realities and Democratic Promise [Main Stage] Jacob Mchangama – Founder and Executive Director of The Future of Free Speech Melissa Mahtani (Moderator) – Executive Producer of CBS News Confirmed

09:40 - 10:00

Discussion
Tech Sovereignty and the Contest on Artificial Intelligence [Main Stage] Rajeev Chandrasekhar* – Former Digital Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology; Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, India Chloé Goupille* – Secretary General, Summit for Action on Artificial Intelligence Melissa Mahtani (Moderator) – Executive Producer of CBS News Confirmed

10:00 - 10:15

Spotlight
Leveraging AI for Conversations At Scale [Main Stage] Beth Goldberg – Head of Research & Development, Jigsaw Jeanne Meserve (Host and Moderator) – Host of the NatSec Tech podcast and former anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News

10:15 - 10:45

Coffee Break
Coffee break [Foyer]

10:45 - 11:45

Showcase

Democracy Tech Entrepreneur Program [Main Stage]

Nikolaj Nyholm (Judge) – Serial Entrepreneur and Investor
Adrian Manole – Co-founder and CEO of LexChain
Anna Khachatryan – Founder of Havastie
Danylo Dermenzhy – Founder and CEO of Univera
Jorn Larsen (Judge) – Founder and CEO, Trifork
Laura Klitgaard (Judge) – President of the Danish Society of Engineers (IDA)
Mariam Kaulashvili-Southwell – Co-founder of Diatove
Sviatoslav Hnizdovsky – Founder and CEO of OpenMinds
Viacheslav N. Shvaidak – Co-founder and CEO of Dropla
Jeanne Meserve (Host and Moderator) – Host of the NatSec Tech podcast and former anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News
George Gogua (Presenter) – Co-founder and Director of Project 64

11:45 - 12:05

Keynote Discussion
Democratic Trust in Artificial Intelligence [Main Stage] Marie Bjerre – Minister for European Affairs Nanna-Louise Linde – Vice President of European Government Affairs, Microsoft Melissa Mahtani (Moderator) – Executive Producer of CBS News Confirmed

12:05 - 12:35

Panel Discsussion

Standing up for Freedom with World Liberty Congress [Main Stage]

Leopoldo Lopez – National Coordinator of Voluntad Popular for Freedom Activist and Co-founder of the World Liberty Congress
Carine Kanimba – Spokesperson of the World Liberty Congress (WLC)
Jeffrey Ngo – Senior Policy and Research Fellow, Hong Kong Democracy Council
Tamara Cofman Wittes – President of National Democratic Institute (NDI)

12:35 - 12:55

Fireside Chat
Democracy Promotion Under Pressure [Main Stage] Barbara Smith – Vice President of Peace Programs, The Carter Center Jerzy Pomianowski – Executive Director of European Endowment for Democracy Tamara Cofman Wittes – President of National Democratic Institute (NDI) Jonas Parello-Plesner (Moderator) – Executive Director, Alliance of Democracies Foundation

12:55 - 13:00

Spotlight

Security, Culture, Foreign Policy at the Ukraine House of Denmark [Main Stage]

Nataliia Popovych – Civic activist, international communications expert and entrepreneur, chairperson of Ukraine House in Denmark, founder of One Philosophy
Olha Zhurba – Film Editor and Director of "Songs of Slow Burning Earth"
Jeanne Meserve (Host and Moderator) – Host of the NatSec Tech podcast and former anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News

13:00 - 13:05

Closing Remarks
Closing Remarks [Main Stage] Anders Fogh Rasmussen – Founder and Chairman of The Alliance of Democracies Foundation Jeanne Meserve (Host and Moderator) – Host of the NatSec Tech podcast and former anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News Gordon Repinski (Moderator) – Executive Editor, Politico Germany

13:05 - 14:05

Networking Lunch
Networking Lunch [Foyer]

13:10 - 14:10

Side Event

Roundtable: Building Democratic Resilience: Learning from Activists (Invite Only) [Henckel (1st Floor)]

Anthony "Tony" Banbury – President and CEO of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)
Pita Limjaroenrat – Former Leader of the Move Forward Party (MFP) and Visiting Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School
Tamara Cofman Wittes – President of National Democratic Institute (NDI)
Elisenda Ballesté Buxó (Moderator) – Project Coordinator, Global Democracy Coalition
Paloma Dallas (Moderator) – Senior Program Officer for Democracy around the Globe, Charles F. Kettering Foundation

Roundtable: Speech in the Machine (Invite Only) [Kørner Lounge (2nd Floor)]

Jacob Mchangama – Founder and Executive Director of The Future of Free Speech

13:10 - 14:40

Side Event

Workshop: Shaping the Future of Democracy and Technology (Invite Only) [CEO Meeting Room (3rd floor)]

Marie Bjerre – Minister for European Affairs
Marietje Schaake – Fellow, Stanford University and Author for ‘The Tech Coup’
Paweł Swieboda – Senior Fellow – Neurotechnology, Centre for Future Generations (CFG)
Jakob Graabak (Facilitator) – Foresight Director, Centre for Future Generations (CFG)
Maria Koomen (Facilitator) – Governance Director, Centre for Future Generations (CFG)

15:30 - 17:00

External Event (Optional)
Post CDS Reflections: Security, Culture, Foreign Policy at Ukraine House in Denmark [Ukraine House in Denmark, Strandgade 27B, 1401 København]

17:30 - 19:00

External Event (Optional)
"Songs of the Slow Burning Earth": Screening and talk with a director Olha Zhurba [Ukraine House in Denmark, Strandgade 27B, 1401 København] Olha Zhurba – Film Editor and Director of "Songs of Slow Burning Earth"