Exhibition of the Future of Europe

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

we are delighted to inform you about the next vernissage of the poster exhibition: Future of Europe, which is organized by the Institute of International Relations, the Council on Foreign Affairs and the Representation of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Czech Republic.

We are honoured to invite you to the opening of the exhibition with a connected 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.

Our distinguished speakers:

Péter Balázs, Professor, Central European University, former EU Commissioner

Rolland Freundenstein, policy Director, Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies

Barbara Lippert, Director of Research & Executive Board, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik

Vessela Tcherneva, Head of aand Senior Director for programmes, ECFR Sofia Office

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? During the course of our seminar, we will focus on these questions, and much more. Please, join us in our discussion!

We are looking forward to seeing you!

EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy

Institute of International Relations

Council on Foreign Affairs

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Representation in the Czech Republic