Recent years have shown that states and societies must be prepared to face severe and often unprecedented disturbances. In this context, a resilient society is one that can withstand, adapt to, and recover from shocks while preserving its core functions, identity, and well-being. Yet resilience also means the capacity to “bounce forward” — to use crises and uncertainty as opportunities for learning, transformation, and long-term improvement.
This report builds on the seminar “Resilient Society”, held on 27 February 2025 at the Poznań University of Economics and Business as part of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence project “Resilient and Transforming Europe” (Transform EU). The seminar sought to provide a forum for debate on how to shape a society that is prepared, adaptive, and capable of evolving in the face of uncertainty. It brought together expert reflections on the social, institutional, environmental, and urban dimensions of resilience in the European context.
The report presents three complementary perspectives on what constitutes a resilient society. It explores the role of sustainable consumption in strengthening society, the contribution of European Union support to more resilient health systems, and the importance of rethinking urban development paradigms to build resilient European cities. Together, these contributions offer a multidimensional view of how Europe can move towards a more resilient, socially cohesive, and sustainable future.