Václav Havel European Dialogues: The Czech Republic at the European Crossroads

What has 14 years of membership of the European Union brought us? What advantages have we enjoyed thanks to it? Or have we, by contrast, lost something? Why is there increasing scepticism about the EU? Are there perhaps other alternatives? What does the EU represent for the future of our country? And what do we represent for its future? These and similar questions will be explored in the fifth edition of the Václav Havel European Dialogues.

On one hand, a path is drawn to deepening European integration – expansion of monetary union, the building of collective defence and responsibility for foreign policy. On the other, calls for greater decentralisation and the return of some powers to national level are growing louder. Neither of these positions reflects the issue of European identity, the spiritual ethos connecting member states and their citizens called for by Václav Havel.

The Václav Havel European Dialogues conference initiates and helms discussion on current issues shaping the future direction of contemporary Europe, while referring to the spiritual legacy of Václav Havel. The event provides a forum for meetings between notable figures from the fields of sociology, economics, politics and journalism, but also young people and students, novice politicians and activists, at which they can discuss, together and with members of the public, topical issues facing the Czech Republic and respectively Europe.

The conference will take place in Czech and English with simultaneous interpretation into both languages. It will be streamed by Czech Television.

To attend the conference it is necessary to register.

For more information, including the updated programme, go to: https://bit.ly/2v8eiaH