Venue: Espacio Bertelsmann
Thursday, 24 September 2026, from 10:00 to 13:50h CEST (UTC+2). Venue: Espacio Bertelsmann (c/ O’Donnell 10, 28009 Madrid).
This September marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US. This was when global terrorism rose to the top of the agenda and became the connecting thread of international relations for the next two decades. In terms of security, the attacks represented the end of the traditional distinction between domestic and foreign security, establishing a new global –and therefore shared– threat that would need to be addressed in a multifaceted and cooperative way.
The anniversary provides an opportunity to evaluate how the Jihadist terrorist threat has evolved since 2001, the key actors who perpetrate it, the main scenarios on which it unfolds and the strategies devised to pursue its goals. It also provides a chance to reflect on the future of this menace, which is nowadays regarded as the main terrorist threat to European societies, including Spain’s.
In addition to the challenge stemming from Jihadism, new forms of violent extremism and terrorism are now trying to undermine the smooth running of institutions and social cohesion, and indeed public security in liberal democracies. These mainly relate to activities emerging from the far right ideological spectrum, without forgetting the existence of state-sponsored terrorism.
Against this backdrop, the Elcano Royal Institute will host the 12th Elcano Forum on Global Terrorism (FETG), which will bring together in Madrid a group of some of the leading academics, experts and professionals on the Spanish and international stages to reflect on the evolution and trends of this phenomenon, as well as on the counter-terrorist responses and strategies aimed at preventing and combatting violent radicalisation
The 12th edition of the Forum is organised in cooperation with t Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union & Cooperation, and its Interior Ministry, along with the Canadian Embassy in Spain.
Hashtag: #FETG12
Programme
10:00 – 10:25 Opening session
10:30 – 11:45 Panel I: The state of the jihadist threat 25 years after 9/11
- Marc Heckner, Executive director of the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri), France | @M_Hecker
- Gonzalo de Salazar Serrantes, Deputy Director-General for Sanctions and International Cooperation against Terrorism, Drugs and Organised Crime at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain.
Moderator: Carola García-Calvo, Senior Fellow, Elcano Royal Institute | @carolagc13
11:45 – 12:15 Coffee break
12:15 – 13:30 Panel II: Emerging trends and challenges in violent extremism
- Amarnath Amarasingam, Assistant Professor, School of Religion, and cross-appointed to the Department of Political Studies, Queen’s University, Canada | @AmarAmarasingam
- Joana de Deus, Senior Analyst, RUSI-Europe, Belgium | @JoanaDeusPereir
- Francisco Coria, Head of the Counterterrorism Division, Intelligence Centre against Terrorism and Organized Crime, (CITCO), Spain.
Moderator: Álvaro Vicente, Fellow, Elcano Royal Institute | @alvaro_vicentep
13:35 – 13:50 Closing remarks
- Fernando Reinares, Distinguished Senior Fellow, Elcano Royal Institute, Professor of Political Science and Security Studies, Rey Juan Carlos University, Spain | @F_Reinares
- Charles Powell, Director, Elcano Royal Institute | @CharlesTPowell
13:50 Closing of the 12th Elcano Forum on Global Terrorism
– The event will be held in Spanish and English, with simultaneous translation.
– In-person attendance at events organised by the Elcano Royal Institute requires a personal invitation and should be confirmed in advance. You can request an invitation by completing this form.
Image: View of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York from the south pool. Photo: Dave Z (Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0).
