France’s President Emmanuel Macron, who had previously attempted to set the West’s relations to Russia on a new strategic footing and pushed for fundamental NATO reform, now finds himself acting as a crisis manager while facing legislative elections. Germany’s coalition government announced a paradigm shift in national security and defense policy but has yet to clarify what this sea change (“Zeitenwende”) entails. And Italy, like Germany, has been forced to face up to its close economic and energy ties with Russia. The war has also encouraged rapprochement between the EU and UK and revived the thorny question of how to best coordinate on security matters.

In this online discussion, we will take stock of how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has changed national foreign and security policies and how these shifts affect Europe’s security architecture. Last year, a group of experts recommended ways of strengthening Europe’s and Germany’s capacity to act in the “Smart Sovereignty” report published by DGAP, which we will revisit and assess in the current context.

Speakers:

Dr. Thomas Gomart, Director, Ifri

Dr. Robin Niblett, Director and Chief Executive, Chatham House

Prof. Dr. Daniela Schwarzer, Executive Director Europe and Eurasia, Open Society Foundations

Prof. Dr. Nathalie Tocci, Director, Istituto Affari Internazionali

Moderator:

Sylvie Kauffmann, Editorial Director & Columnist, Le Monde; Fellow, Robert Bosch Academy Berlin