This public discussion took place within the framework of conference ‘Vienna Peace and Security Talks 2020‘. The conference consisted of three closed workshops that discussed EU geopolitical ambitions, climate and migration challgenges as well as relations with the EU Neighborhood.
Content
The European Security Architecture is in a deep crisis. The EU faces tough times, major challenges and countless hybrid threats: pandemic and climate change, global migration and refugee crisis, systemic terrorism, pervasive cyber threats and the return of the forgotten conflict with Russia. The number of challenges and conflicts is countless: the violent suppression of the protests in Belarus, the ongoing military conflict in Donbas, the collapse of Libya, the confrontation between Greece and Turkey – just to name a few. All this is taking place against the background of profound changes in the international order, the rise of Asia and a redefinition of the global role of the USA. All these developments clearly illustrate that the EU sorely needs a real common foreign and security policy. Until now, however, the EU is often not able to speak with one voice. This conference is intended to provide an insight into the interests, motives and approaches of the EU in the field of foreign and security policy as well as an outlook on future developments. In cooperation with the FES Regional Office for Cooperation and Peace in Europe, the International Institute for Peace and the Research Centre for Eurasian Studies at the University of Vienna
Welcome and moderation
MARIA MALTSCHNIG, Director of the Karl-Renner-Institut Introduction
HANNES SWOBODA, President of the International Institute for Peace (IIP); former MEP
Discussants
IRINA BOLGOVA, Associate professor in the Department of Applied Analysis at Moscow State Institute of International Relations – MGIMO (via video conference)
LEYLA DASKIN, Institute for Peace Support and Conflict Management, Austrian National Defence Academy
STEFAN LEHNE, Visiting Scholar at Carnegie Europe in Brussels
KATI PIRI, MEP, S&D Group, Netherlands (via video conference)
ANDREAS SCHIEDER, MEP, Head of the SPÖ Delegation, S&D Group (via video conference)
Background photo credit: https://www.pikist.com/free-photo-shecz/de