Event report

The debate took place on 5 November at 10:00 via Facebook and YouTube broadcasts. Conclusions: — We live in a time when international relations turn towards multipolarity, i.e. an international order based on balance of power. — Russia’s attack on Ukraine shows that the military factor remains an important aspect on the international scene, which is extremely important for the EU, which does not have supranational military capabilities. The European Union is not a military actor, but a civil power based on soft power. — The European Union has been confronted with continuous crises since 2005 which reveal major systemic weaknesses. These crises have highlighted the divisions to the east and west, north and south. This shows how difficult the European Union will be to fully unite. — Europe should create military autonomy, based on military cooperation with US forces. — Today the Union has no will to pursue a single common foreign policy. Its domain remains on a governmental issue, which manifests itself in the fact that different states have different interests. An example of this is the recognition of Kosovo as a stand-alone state in which the EU has not taken a common position on the international scene. — America is turning towards Asia, for example in the creation and development of the “Quad” format, often called the Asian NATO, which aims to suppress Chinese dominance. This does not mean, however, that the US will cease to be interested in Europe. The situation in Europe affects the US. The differences between the US and Europe in every sphere have always been. In transatlantic relations, the US needs the EU as a critical mass to confront China and Europe needs a united state. — Today Europe is very dependent on China on certain issues. This is mainly the market for rare earths, with imports from China accounting for 90 percent. Rare earths are key to digital transformation.