How did a stubborn pro-European country even during soviet regime, turned into disillusioned member state and mild promoter of European solidarity?
In the framework of the upcoming book “Solidarity in Action and the Future of Europe: Views from the Capitals”, edited by Michael Kaeding, Johannes Pollak and Paul Schmidt, TEPSA co-hosted a debate on December 6 at 15:30 CET. The event focused on Southern Member States’ views on European Solidarity. In partnership with the Institute of International Relations in Prague, this event featured contributions from:
- Petr Kratochvíl, Senior Researcher, IIR, Prague,
- Michael Kaeding, Co-Editor, “Fututre of Europe” Book Series,
- Catharina Sørensen, Deputy Director, Think Tank EUROPA, Denmark
- Senem Aydın-Düzgit, Professor of International Relations, Sabancı University
Solidarity is one of those peculiar political notions that have gained an entirely original meaning in the context of Czech politics. Together with “rule of law” or “EU values” it has become to be seen as part of the moralizing rhetoric of the “old” elites in the EU. In this interpretation, which has become dominant in the Czech politics discourse, solidarity ceased to be a symbolic practice expressing the EU’s political unity and was turned into a tool of division, making solidarity a predominantly negative notion.
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.
