The crisis response to the COVID-19 pandemic has to balance the need to defeat the virus with safeguarding democracy and citizens rights and freedoms. How can we protect the privacy of Europe’s population while tracking the virus? How can we counter the disinformation that is being spread about COVID-19 and preserve freedom of expression? What will be the state of European democracies after the crisis is gone? Are there only risks or also opportunities for Europe? At this event Věra Jourová, European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency, will be in conversation with Michael Leigh, senior fellow at Bruegel and Sam Fleming Brussels bureau chief of the Financial Times. This event is part of a series of talks and debates with Europe’s political leaders jointly organised by the Financial Times and Bruegel.