09. November 2021, 18:30 - 20:00 Uhr

Auftaktveranstaltung der neuen Reihe “European Strategic Dialogue”

At the very time when the European Union is developing a “Strategic Compass” to define its military level of ambition and what it means for capability development and partnerships, the US’ Afghanistan withdrawal has forcefully demonstrated that this full-scale European exercise is of utmost importance. Not only after this case, but also in the context of an emerging “era of hyper-competitiveness", which Ursula von der Leyen described in her 2021 State of the Union address, the need for a stronger and more strategically autonomous Union is undisputed.

Equally indisputable remains the ambiguity of the concept of ‘strategic autonomy’. There is for sure no lack of ambition. French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte recently delivered a joint statement on how to “strengthen Europe’s role as a global player” (31.08.2021). Is an internally increasingly stressed Union even capable of finding a common line with regards to strategic issues? Can the gap between idealistic aspirations and hard realpolitik, the division between the promotion of a human rights-based global order and a realistic and strategic pursuit of security interests – even in cooperation with questionable partners – be bridged? What can be the basis for strategic and determined engagement, which role could states like France, Germany and the Netherlands play, and what conditions have to be met so that the nebulous concept of ‘strategic autonomy’ materializes? These and other questions will be discussed from a Franco-Dutch-German perspective during the webinar.

Introduction

Iris B. Müller
Programme Executive for North Rhine-Westphalia, Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom

Welcoming

Luis Vassy
French Ambassador to the Netherlands

Prof. Dr. Birgit Ulrike Münch
Vice Rector for International Affairs, University of Bonn

Panel

Prof. Dr. Joachim Koops
Chair of Security Studies and Scientific Director of the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA), Leiden University

Dirk Brengelmann
Former Ambassador of Germany to the Netherlands and Brazil, CASSIS, University of Bonn

Evelyne Grenèche
Ministry of the Armed Forces (French Republic), General Directorate of International Relations and Strategy

Moderation

Sophie Véritier 
Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA), Leiden University

Der “European Strategic Dialogue” ist eine fortlaufende Serie von Veranstaltungen, die in Kooperation mit dem Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA) der Leiden University, dem Institut français des Pays-Bas, der Friedrich Naumann Stiftung für die Freiheit und dem Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS) der Universität Bonn organisiert wird.

Diese Veranstaltung hat in englischer Sprache stattgefunden.