Freshfields’ geopolitical conversations in Warsaw 2025

On the occasion of the Warsaw Security Forum, Freshfields, in cooperation with our StrongerTogether partner firm Rymarz Zdort Maruta, hosted a high-profile panel discussion. The following topics were at the centre of the debate:

• How can you do business when local threats are rising? 
• What prospects do investors see in Central and Eastern Europe, and what role does the perceived and actual security environment play in this?
• Where can Central and Eastern Europe be a model for resilient infrastructure, and where can security infrastructure be improved? 

Together with our distinguished panelists – U.S. Ambassador (ret.) Mark Brzezinski; German Ambassador (ret.) Rolf Nikel; Arnab Das, Invesco’s Global Market Strategist; Grzegorz Należyty, Vice President Eastern Europe and Managing Director at Siemens Energy; and Jolanta Jaworska, Director Government and Regulatory Affairs at IBM – we discussed how businesses can react when the geographical and political environment within which they operate, is threatened. Freshfields partner Natascha Doll moderated the event.

“Poland in 2025 is a country with local roots and global reach, and the future looks very bright. But the geostrategic context of the country is very fragile. More than many countries, Poland could as easily regress rather than progress if the regional developments are not well managed.” – Mark Brzezinski

Central and Eastern Europe is finding itself between geopolitical changes and economic growth. Poland is both a key player and an important partner in this context. Although the country is driving forward the development of future technologies and is aware of the need to avoid dependencies on others, the situation on the country's Eastern border is reaching a critical point. Poland, a member of NATO, is facing increasing threats. These tensions are undermining the sense of security and stability of both Poland and the European Union.

“As a US IT company invested in Poland for 35 years, we feel a strong sense of resilience and optimism, believing that increased regional cooperation and technological innovation can foster stability and growth despite the challenging global political landscape.” – Jolanta Jaworska

From an economic perspective, the CEE region is a growth engine within the European Union with strategic importance for supply chains, technology development and energy policy. This makes the region exciting for investors. The security of a growth market, in turn, brings geopolitical considerations into focus.

“Europe's security has never been challenged as much since the end of the Cold War. We live in a twilight zone between peace and war with Russia. In the new multipolar world, Europe and America must stick together to defend our common interests and values.“ – Rolf Nikel 

Security threats have long been about much more than tanks on the battlefield. Access to the internet and the influence of public opinion through the spread of disinformation online can severely destabilise society and economic life. Companies need to recognise these challenges early on. A company does not have to be political to become a target of influence.

Cybersecurity, energy security and the protection of critical infrastructure are becoming increasingly important aspects of corporate risk management. Resilience is a frequently mentioned word in this context. This also brings with it great opportunities for innovations that support business models in becoming resilient.

“In order to keep up with the challenge of the following decades, Europe must have a very different debate than it is currently having. It requires lot of change and streamlining to be fit for the future.“ – Arnab Das 

With all national security efforts and international alliances, it is also essential to assess the consequences for countries that are merely distant neighbours or alliance members. Every market reacts to geopolitical shifts. Companies must be responsive, too, and often have to make strategic decisions quickly.

“During our event in Warsaw, we emphasised that geopolitical events have an existential impact on companies. Our continuous monitoring of geopolitical changes and developments has brought our clients significant advantages. Knowing where companies are under pressure and where new opportunities are opening up is a strategy that pays off for our clients, as recent global events have shown.” – Natascha Doll

This event was part of our global event series Freshfields Navigator - Anticipate. Adapt. Advance, which already gave guidance through our high-profile events in Munich and Singapore, and which will continue in Washington D.C. For more blogposts from our Strategic Risk Management Group with valuable insights on how to protect companies from those risks and implement a geopolitical strategy, please refer to our Risk and Compliance blogpost series.