BCM: The new European Disorder

On Friday morning ECFR Berlin hosted a Black Coffee Morning to mark the publication of Mark Leonard and Ivan Krastev’s new policy paper on EU-Russia relations, “The new European Disorder.” Josef Janning, senior policy fellow at ECFR, introduced the paper and the points it puts forward. Dr. Markus Kaim, head of the international security division of the Stiftung Wirtschaft & Politik, was then given the floor to speak about what he thought of the paper’s relevance to the current political climate. The event was moderated by Rachel Tausendfreund, ECFR’s lead editor, and was attended by representatives from think tanks and parliamentary assistants.

Central to the discussion was the question of how far European states should be supporting democratisation in other parts of the world. It was discussed whether Europe is still an inspiration to people in the non-Western world, whether we can effectively encourage our values to be replicated in other countries and also whether sanctions are a wise strategy against Russia. Also under discussion was the extent to which the current tension between the EU and Russia is having an effect on foreign policy options in other parts of the world.

Many of the guests expressed their admiration for the paper, which was agreed to be insightful, interesting and extremely pertinent.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/61872701@N05/albums/72157649045727427