Norwegian security is undergoing profound change—from diversifying its strategic partnerships to reorganising local preparedness to manage complex crises across a spectrum that includes war. These issues were the focus of the 2026 Security Forum South: Ready to Meet Increased Threats to Security and Preparedness in the Nordic-Baltic Area and Southern Norway; a forum taking place during the Total Defence year in Norway. Participants represented perspectives from NATO, the EU, and the states around the Baltic Sea, alongside actors from the Agder local total defence cooperation, as well as the business and academic communities. Speakers included Anniken Ramberg Krutnes, Special Representative for Hybrid Threats at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Nicolas de la Grandville, EU Ambassador to Norway; Jan Kantorczyk, Acting Ambassador at the German Embassy in Norway; and Tom Holter, Department Director at the Ministry of Defence in Oslo. The participants engaged in discussions that collectively painted a detailed picture and identified key factors and actors driving security change.
PRIO Senior Researcher Louise Olsson participated in a panel on security and defence cooperation in Northern Europe, alongside Klaus Korhonen, Ambassador at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Finland’s first Ambassador to NATO. Olsson contributed insights from research and policy on Swedish positions and recent developments, including shifts in attitudes towards and support for NATO and the EU in light of the evolving geopolitical landscape. She underlined the importance of recognising how differing threat perceptions may affect Nordic populations’ willingness to defend, and emphasised that the high levels of trust in the state and defence institutions should be seen as valuable resources to be managed wisely. The panel was moderated by Morten Jentoft, former NRK correspondent in Moscow.
Security Forum South is an annual conference organised by former Ambassador Torbjørn Frøysnes in cooperation with Evje and Hornnes Municipality, and with support from manager Sverre Lodgaard, former director and senior researcher at NUPI.
