Geostrategic Europe

As the conflict over Ukraine heats up, several political analysts have pointed to the slow initial reaction by key European states, including France and Germany, to call Russia out when it first started mobilising troops at the border, writes Jolyon Wiersum in this op-ed. Analysts of the Normative Europe Theory see a series of contradictions which lie at the heart of the EU’s difficulty in responding to outright aggression on the international stage.  

LINKS Europe in collaboration with The City of The Hague, and with the support of The Hague Humanity Hub, hosted the fifth in a series of clusters of events titled ‘Conversations on the future of Europe in the world’ on Thursday, 3 February 2022. The event was hosted online from the LINKS Europe office in the The Hague, and around 50 participants joined. The series ‘Conversations on the future of Europe in the world’ contributes to the debate in the framework of the EU’s ‘Conference on the future of Europe’ process.

The conference, 'The EU and its Eastern Neighbourhood', was held over three sessions at The Hague Humanity Hub (city centre) in The Hague on Tuesday 23 November 2021. The first session addressed the topic, 'The EU and the process of reform and renewal in the Eastern Neighbourhood: six countries, six nuances and a giant elephant in the room'. Read the summary here.

To mark the start of the six-month EU presidency, historic buildings across France were illuminated in the blue of the EU flag on New Year's Eve, including the Elysee Palace and the Eiffel Tower. In a televised address, French president Emanuel Macron said, "You can count on my complete commitment to ensure that this period, which comes around every 13 years, is a time of progress for you."  He listed the top priorities for the French presidency, including border control, European defence, climate change and gender equality.

In this episode of Global Europe Unpacked, produced in collaboration with the City of The Hague, Will Murray speaks to Brian Mefford – a long-time observer of Ukraine, based in Kiev – about the state of the rule of law in Ukraine and the biggest challenges it faces; how it is affected by Russian interference; and what more could be done by the country’s Western partners to support and promote the rule of law there. Will then speaks to the vice-president of the Ukrainian National Bar Association, Dr Valentyn Gvozdiy, about what his institution does to support the rule of law in Ukraine; his perspective on the issues that Ukraine faces; and what he believes Ukraine can offer the EU when it comes to justice and the rule of law.

The EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, in a statement on Wednesday (22 December), said Russia's actions in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus have created new threats and fears of invasion, and that Europe was today under threat. Borrell's statement was in response to Russia's recent attempts to re-define Europe's security architecture. On Wednesday, Borrell also discussed the situation with US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.

In this introductory episode for series two of Global Europe Unpacked, produced in collaboration with the City of The Hague, Will Murray speaks to the Head of Representation for the European Commission in the Netherlands, Didier Herbert, about how the Conference on the Future of Europe is taking shape, and how people can – and why they should – get involved. Will then shares a conversation with The Hague’s Deputy Mayor, Saskia Bruines, about the importance of bridging the gap between the local and the international, and how her city of peace and justice is contributing to the initiative.

The summit's declaration sets out the strategy and priorities that will guide relations between the EU and its Eastern neighbours going forward based on a new, more ambitious, agenda.