INVITATION: Between internal challenges and strategic autonomy

Accept our sincere invitation to the public debate that we co-organize under the Prague European Summit titled ''Between internal challenges and strategic autonomy''. The event will take place on November 15th at 2PM in European House.

EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy together with the Institute for International Relations and the Permanent Representation of the European Commission in the Czech Republic would like to cordially invite you to the debate titled "Between internal challenges and strategic autonomy" which will be held on Thursday 15th of November 2018 from 14:00 to 16:00 at the European House (Jungmannova 24, Prague 1).

Confirmed speakers:

• Péter Balázs, Professor, Central European University, former EU Commissioner
• Roland Freundenstein, Policy Director, Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies
• Barbara Lippert, Director of Research & Executive Board, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP)
• Vessela Tcherneva, Head of and Senior Director for Programmes, ECFR Sofia - ЕСВП София

In the recent years, the European Union has been focused on internal challenges, ranging from Brexit negotiations to the migration crisis, but also on more mundane tasks such as negotiating the new MFF of the Union. However, a number of fundamental changes in global politics have forced the EU to re-focus the attention of its policy-makers to its external activities once again. In particular, with the changing course of US foreign policy under President Trump and a more assertive Russia, the EU must focus on its international role, and, specifically, the growing need for its strategic autonomy. Is the EU capable of solving its internal problems, while reasserting its high international profile? Can/should the strategic autonomy of the EU be achieved, and what consequences might this have for its major global partnerships? Will Brexit complicate these tasks, or will it, paradoxically, simplify them?

Please keep in mind that online registration is essential for your participation at the debate. You can register at bit.ly/PESdebate, or you can find the event also on Facebook.

As part of the event there will be the Future of Europe exposition installment at the venue. We are looking forward to your participation!