Event report

In the framework of the upcoming book “Solidarity in Action and the Future of Europe: Views from the Capitals”, edited by Michael Kaeding, Johannes Pollak and Paul Schmidt, TEPSA co-hosted a debate on December 2 at 13:00 CET. In partnership with the Austrian Society for European Politics (ÖGfE), this event featured contributions from: Dr. Catharina Sørensen, Deputy Director at Think Tank EUROPA, Dr. Petr Kratochvil, Senior Researcher at the Institute of International Relations, Prague, Dr. Ignacio Molina, Senior Analyst at the Elcano Royal Institute, Evelyn Regner MEP, Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Moderated by: Paul Schmidt, Secretary-General, ÖGFE. In the wake of numerous European crises, Solidarity has become a key watch-word of the European Union. Through the ongoing pandemic, debate over what ‘Solidarity’ means for Europe, and specifically over what it means to EU Member States, has gained a new momentum. In this context, this debate sought to answer: what has the EU learned from COVID-19 in terms of solidarity? To what extent has the EU been successful in finding common interest among its Member States? How can the main persisting divides be overcome?