The opening panel of the second day delved into how and whether Europe can adapt to the emerging international crises and issues. Three key challenges identified include the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which directly threatens European security, economic and trade complexities involving China and the potential for isolationism and protectionist policies from the new U.S. administration.

The discussion highlighted the importance of pragmatic partnerships, adaptability, and a unified collective response to address these pressing issues effectively. In this context, the panel recognized significant potential in the European Political Community as a flexible and inclusive framework to facilitate broader cooperation on the entire continent.

 

 

David Donoghue, Distinguished Fellow of Overseas Development Institute (ODI), displayed a cautious optimism, expressing that the EU will survive but not necessarily thrive, but that it can forge a new unity in response to the major geopolitical crises it faces. He warned that China and Russia will try to fill the vacuum that an isolationist US would create in international politics, because of which the EU would have to pick up the leadership and promote its values of democracy and the rule of law.

 

 

Vessela Tcherneva, Deputy Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, emphasised that in the current climate everything is possible, underscoring the urgency for Europe to mobilise in response to major challenges. The expectation is that Europe will enhance its defence cooperation, a step she deemed crucial given the war in Ukraine, which remains the continent’s most pressing security concern. She expressed an optimistic view that the conflict in Ukraine gave momentum and enthusiasm towards the enlargement process: “Ukraine has done a great service to the enlargement process – it made it possible again”. However, the geopolitical momentum is not enough, a merit-based approach has to be applied, she emphasized, and this should be clear to the Western Balkans governments.

 

 

Rob Dixon, Director of the International Affairs, National Security Secretariat, United Kingdom, focused on the new possibilities of cooperating through the European Political Community, as the UK remains very much engaged in European affairs even after Brexit. He highlighted that a new pragmatism is necessary in order to tackle international challenges, and to cooperate on trade and economic issues. He underlined the importance of the US engagement for the security of Europe and the need to sustain this partnership into the future.

 

 

René Troccaz, Special Envoy for the Western Balkans of the French Republic, highlighted the need for Europe to survive by becoming stronger and more coherent, for which it has to be both reformed and expanded. He stressed that the nature of the threats European states face are international, and the only solution is cooperation.

 

 

The moderator, Philip T. Reeker, Chair of the Wilson Center’s Global Europe Program, posed a question about whether EU enlargement might be delayed due to international crises and shifts in the foreign policy of the new U.S. administration. In response, Troccaz expressed confidence that the EU should move forward with its expansion to the Western Balkans, emphasising that the region has waited too long and that the EU is both ready and capable of integrating it. He added that the enlargement of the EU towards Western Balkans will bring more stability.