VISION FOR NEXT EUROPE

How to Cope with a Fundamental Political Re-Set of the Union

Is the EU still a success story and a cornerstone of European stability and prosperity? Currently, the EU faces a range of political and economic pressures, including slow growth and persistently high unemployment in many EU countries, as well as the rise of far-right populist parties, at least some of which harbor anti-EU or “euroskeptic” sentiments. Such factors are complicating the EU’s ability to deal with a multitude of unprecedented internal and external challenges. Among them: the definition of the external borders of the EU; the future of EU enlargement; the decision over a stronger EU (federalization, EU defense integration) or a two (or even three) speed Europe.

What Next Europe is going to be? How do we have to re-think the Union, the EU institutions? Do we get closer or fall apart? What if Brexit?

Robert Cooper, Diplomat, Former Counsellor, European External Action Service
Ulrike Guérot, Founder and Director of the European Democracy Lab at the European School of Governance in Berlin
Soli Ozel, Professor of International Relations at Kadir Has University in Istanbul
Ruth Wodak, Em. Distinguished Professor and Chair in Discourse Studies at Lancaster University

Moderation:
Ivan Krastev, Chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies, Permanent Fellow IWM

in cooperation with
Bruno Kreisky Forum for International Dialogue
Centre for Liberal Strategies
European Council for International Relation
Directorate for Security Policy of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Defence and Sports
With the friendly support of Wiener Festwochen