In the 2020s, European states have faced several major foreign policy crises, from Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine to transatlantic tensions and, most recently, the escalating US–Israeli war against Iran. The decade has also seen the resurgence of power politics, making coordinated EU foreign policy more important than ever. EU member states drive the Union’s external action, which makes analysing national perspectives and positions essential for understanding how EU foreign policy comes about. Consolidated national positions and domestic debates also determine the limits of joint action, including whether and how EU-level foreign policy shifts are implemented in practice.
The seminar examines the challenges of EU foreign policy in the 2020s by focusing on the following questions: What foreign policy goals are key member states currently pushing – or resisting – within the EU? What can the EU achieve collectively in foreign policy, and which issues fall outside the scope of joint action? How do domestic debates influence the formation of national and European foreign policy?
Programme
Opening words:
Juha Jokela, Programme Director, FIIA
Introduction:
Tyyne Karjalainen, Research Fellow, FIIA
Speakers:
Nicolai von Ondarza, Head of Research Division, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik SWP
David Cadier, Senior Research Fellow, Institut de Recherche Stratégique de l’Ecole Militaire IRSEM
Magdalena Góra, Associate Professor, Jagiellonian University
Pol Bargués, Senior Research Fellow, Barcelona Centre for International Affairs CIDOB
Concluding remarks:
Marco Siddi, Leading Researcher, FIIA
Sign up for the webinar at the very latest on Wednesday 27 May.
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