As conflict and instability test Europe’s resolve, liberal leaders with experience and vision are rising to the challenge in new roles within national and supranational governments, driving bold policies and diplomacy needed to safeguard our future.
This feature was originally published in ALDE Party's Liberal Bulletin in June 2025. Click here to read the full publication.
Mark Rutte 
NATO Secretary General
Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte (VVD, NL) has emerged as one of Europe’s most vocal advocates for a sustainable peace in Ukraine, urging allies to ramp up defence spending to over 3% of GDP in the face of Russian aggression.
He has pushed NATO to modernise its strategy, spearheading the launch of “Baltic Sentry”, a new initiative aimed at safeguarding critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea through intensified sea and air patrols against potential Russian sabotage.
Rutte’s drive for regional stability has also extended to the Western Balkans, where he has pressed for renewed efforts to normalise relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
Kaja Kallas 
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Since taking office in November 2024, Kaja Kallas (Reformierakond, EE) has quickly positioned herself as a key architect of a more assertive European Union on the global stage.
As the EU’s top diplomat, she has championed initiatives like the ReArm Europe Plan and Readiness 2030, designed to strengthen defence cooperation and unlock joint military investments among Member States.
A vocal advocate for democratic resilience, Kallas has also pushed for accelerated EU enlargement—particularly for Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkans, arguing that Europe must stand firmly with democracies under threat.
Micheál Martin 
Ireland’s Taoiseach
As Ireland’s Defence Minister from 2022 to 2024, Martin (Fianna Fáil, IE) launched the country’s most ambitious defence overhaul in decades, setting in motion a spending increase from €1.1 billion to €1.5 billion by 2028 and modernising the Defence Forces with advanced patrol vessels to boost maritime surveillance in the west.
Now serving as Taoiseach, Martin has established a Ministerial Council on National Security, bringing together key ministers and senior officials to tighten coordination in response to evolving threats, a major step in delivering on the government’s security agenda.
His pragmatic leadership has reinforced both national and European security priorities, all while maintaining Ireland’s deeply rooted stance of military neutrality.
Marie-Agnes
Strack-Zimmermann MEP 
Chair of the European Parliament Committee on Security and Defence
After spearheading defence reform debates in the German Bundestag, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP, DE) chairs the European Parliament’s newest standing committee on security and defence – bringing her trademark urgency and clarity to the EU stage.
In her first months at the helm, she led high-profile delegations to Kyiv, reaffirming support for Ukraine’s civil society, and to Israel and the Palestinian territories, where she assessed the EU’s military and civilian missions on the ground.
A staunch advocate for deeper defence integration, Strack-Zimmermann is pushing for stronger collaboration among Member States to pave the way for a unified EU defence policy, arguing the bloc must be able to respond to threats with speed, resolve and solidarity.