I recommend commitment to ongoing ethical evaluation when working in defence. 

First and foremost, I believe the public debate on defence would benefit from a stronger pacifist voice and I ask myself why the voices got less loud. There is no military inevitability. Critical reflection on defence, military capability and the use of public resources should not disappear simply, because the security environment has become more challenging.

Two statements have stayed with me throughout my career:

1. If you want peace, prepare for war: There may be truth in this principle. At the same time, it contains a fundamental tension: societies invest enormous resources in achieving a military balance, only to rearm again in response to and in alignment with their adversaries.
2. If we have it, we use it: Avaiable military capability can influence political and military decision-making. This makes responsible development, clear governance and democratic oversight essential.

I am deeply convinced that our democratic system, our freedom, and our way of life are worth defending. Europe as consequence needs to remain at the forefront of technological development, including defence technology. Technological leadership has been a key driver of our prosperity and success, and I strongly believe that continued investment in advanced technologies is our path forward.

The continued expansion of military capability must not automatically lead to the militarisation of society, but we should not compromise the resilience of society and ability to defend.