What can the Czech Presidency offer the European Union?
- Where: Václav Havel Library, Ostrovní 13, Prague 110 00
- When: June 30, 2022, 17:00 – 19:00
Come to say farewell to the French Presidency of the EU and celebrate with us the Czech Presidency!
The Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union will take over from France on 1 July. The first Czech Presidency in 2009 was marked by dramatic events both home and abroad, including the first Russo-Ukrainian gas crisis, the imminent financial and debt crisis in several countries of the EU and the collapse of the Czech government midway through the Presidency. The 2022 Czech Presidency will not be a walk through a rose garden, either. Nonetheless, the Czech Republic is approaching it with almost twenty years of experience and with a clearer idea about its goals and ambitions. It is not by accident that as a motto for the Presidency the Czech government has chosen the title of the address by Václav Havel on the occasion of the Charlemagne Prize award ceremony in Aachen in 1996 “Europe as a Task”.
The passing of the torch between two close allies and members of the EU will be administered and discussed by Mikuláš Bek, Minister of European Affairs of the Czech Government, H.E. Alexis Dutertre, Ambassador of France, and Edita Hrdá, head of the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic in the EU.
Moderated by Michael Zantovsky.
The debate will be held within the framework of collaboration of the Václav Havel Library with the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
A special English edition of the “Europe as a Task” address of Václav Havel co-produced by Czech Presidency of the EU, the Václav Havel Library and the Czech Centres will be unveiled in the course of the evening.