Europe in the world: The emergence of Collective Power Europe?

The seventh Annual T.M.C. Asser Lecture will be held by  Emerita Professor Brigid Laffan, an internationally recognised expert on the European Union. The title of her lecture is: ‘Europe in the world: The emergence of Collective Power Europe?’. During the 7th Annual T.M.C. Asser Lecture, Brigid Laffan will analyse the challenges facing Europe in a world of geopolitical shift and shock:

On the 24^th of February 2022, the post-war international order ended, as did the 1989 peace dividend. A major nuclear power Russia, invaded its neighbour Ukraine, targeting civilians, reducing urban centres to a rubble and triggering a major displacement of people in Europe. For the European Union (EU) and the wider community of democracies, this is a critical juncture with implications for the security and political economy architecture of Europe and the wider world for decades to come. The Russian invasion takes place against the return of hard geopolitics, Great Power competition and the weakening of multilateral institutions. Over the last decade, the EU, a polity but not a state, has been grappling with its response to new dynamics in global politics. Europe’s search for a role has focused on ill-defined concepts such as strategic autonomy and European sovereignty. The collective EU wants to be a player, not a plaything but is challenged by the imbalance between its economic power, diverging preferences of the member states and an inchoate approach to security which relies on NATO and the Transatlantic Alliance. The focus of this lecture is threefold. First, it explores the response of the EU and the community of democracies to Putin’s war. Second, it analyses the impact on global politics and Great Power competition and three, assesses the consequences of the war for the dynamic of European integration and the nature of the EU.

This year’s T.M.C. Asser Annual Lecture will take place in the Academy Hall of the Peace Palace, The Hague, the Netherlands on Tuesday, 10 May 20‌22 from 16‌.00 – 17‌.30 hrs CET, followed by a reception. Registration opens at 15‌.15 hrs CET.

Seats for the live event will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, so we kindly ask you to secure your seat in the Peace Palace now.

If you wish to watch the Lecture online, please register here to receive a hyperlink prior to the event.