Political Generosity in a Time of Crisis?
CEFEUS Director Dr Amelia Hadfield Interviews Former Director of the European Union Institute for Security Studies, Alvaro de Vasconcelos.
This week, the Politics and International Relations programme at CCCU, in conjunction with CEFEUS, hosted the inaugural workshop of the BISA European Security Working Group. Founded by Dr Andre Barrinha and Dr Adrian Treacher, University of Sussex the group will look at emerging issues in the European security and defence sector. The 19-20th January workshop itself began by examining a core challenge: ‘European Security After the Brexit Vote: Challenges and Continuities’.
A range of scholars from European and UK universities were invited, with panels examining Europe’s developing security architecture, security and defence options for the UK, permanent structured cooperation and internal/external security dynamics, including migration, refugees and cooperation. Rounding off the first evening, CEFEUS Director, Dr Amelia Hadfield, interviewed Professor Álvaro De Vasconcelos, the former Director of the European Union Institute for Security Studies. After asking Álvaro to define his own European security strategy, and itemise key threats to the EU, the conversation then moved onto key parts of the 2016 EU Global Strategy.
Álvaro examined the nature of European soft and hard power, ‘principled pragmatism’ and strategic autonomy’ and suggested that much in the EU’s initial foreign policy objectives had begun to shift, and that pragmatism risked outflanking the original founding principles. Calling for a ‘generous European response’ regarding both Brexit, and tackling of ongoing challenges, Álvaro suggested that the EU far to go in the practical convergence of security and defence, needed to think more strategically about tackling Russia, and should be prepared to defend European modes and values in the face of potential splits with the US. Held on the eve of the US inauguration, the interview was timely, challenging, and revealing.
Álvaro spoke in a broad-ranging manner, but with clear-sighted intensity that animated the entire hall. He warned of the rise of nationalism and populism around Europe yet spoke optimistically about Europe’s ability to solve problems, in national and institutional ways. He seamlessly tied together European political and economic history to give clear examples of challenges and responses to Europe and provided the audience with a superb insight into contemporary trials, and future prospects. ‘It was a privilege to be part of such an extraordinarily well-informed narrative on contemporary Europe’, said Dr Hadfield.
"Thanks to Álvaro, we’ve improved our understanding about the roles and responsibilities of modern Europe."