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, TEPSA organised a debate 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?
On November 8 at 13:00 CET, TEPSA hosted a debate on “EU Solidarity under stress”. The talk, moderated by Michael Kaeding, an eminent expert on European affairs and Honorary TEPSA Board Member, brought together four expert speakers:
- Guy Milton, Head of Unit, Analysis and Research Team, Council of the European Union,
- Sophie Pornschlegel, Charlemagne Prize Fellow, European Policy Centre,
- François Roux, Senior Advisor on European Affairs, EGMONT,
- Assoc. Prof. Steven Van Hecke, KU Leuven.
Faced with challenges like the asymmetrical impact of the global financial crisis or the arrival of many asylum-seekers, the EU has attempted to find a consensus on which way to move forward together in solidarity. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented ‘’Next Generation EU’’ package was agreed to help foster a sustainable economic and social recovery from the pandemic. Nevertheless, some divides within the EU have also deepened over the course of the COVID crisis, such as on the Rule of Law and other core European values.
This event took place in person at the Fondation Universitaire (Rue Egmont 11, 1000-Bruxelles).
This event took place in the framework of the upcoming publication of TEPSA’s new book: “Solidarity in Action and the Future of Europe: Views from the Capitals”, which will focus on solidarity in action and is edited by Michael Kaeding, Johannes Pollak, and Paul Schmidt. Coming soon via Springer.
