In this new episode of EuropeChats, we’re analysing the newest buzzword in Brussels: “European Strategic Autonomy”.
We discuss the reasons why this new term arose: we live in an increasingly hostile global environment, and we have faced multiple crises in recent years, from the subprime crisis through the refugee crisis and Brexit, as well as the COVID crisis, and these have revealed weaknesses in our system that require the EU to become more resilient, more powerful, and more autonomous.
We also discuss what exactly does this term mean, and how does it affect the EU as it currently exists? What practical applications of the concept of Strategic Autonomy should the EU try to achieve in the fields of trade policy, medical supplies, defence and digitalisation in the next decade? We also discover what that new resilience might look like, how it might affect policy, and what this means for the EU on the world stage. Can the EU be a serious geopolitical actor? Can strategic autonomy strengthen the defense of European values against authoritarian regimes outside Europe? Can Europe become an innovation centre on par with Silicon Valley or China?
And, most controversially of all, we discuss whether strategic autonomy means the EU should have a European Army. We’re discussing these topics and many more! Check it out!
EuropeChats is TEPSA’s new talk show dedicated to answering your questions about the European Union. If you ever wondered what competences the EU has, what effects its policies have on your day-to-day life, and why the EU is so important, then this show will give you all the answers you need! Every episode, Jim Cloos, TEPSA Secretary-General will be answering your questions about Europe and the EU.
Jim Cloos is TEPSA’s Secretary-General, and has spent a lifetime in the heart of Brussels. As the former Deputy Director General for General and Institutional Policy at the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, he was involved in European decision-making at every level. He had a key role in drafting the Maastricht Treaty during the Luxembourgish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 1991, and has an intricate expertise on EU Affairs and the internal functioning of the European institutions. There is no-one better placed to answer any question about Europe that you might have.
Mariam Khotenashvili is TEPSA’s Executive Director. Her background combines research coordination, policy advocacy, project management and academic work. Her fields of expertise include EU foreign and development policies and in particular the European Neighbourhood Policy. Mariam is your direct line into the European bubble, and to Jim’s expertise.
