What should Europe aspire to become over the next decades? And what can it realistically achieve? Few conversations could bring together such wide-ranging but complementary perspectives on these questions as one between Dalia Grybauskaitė and Pascal Lamy.
The former president of Lithuania and the former director-general of the World Trade Organization have experienced European integration from different parts of the continent and from the highest levels of European and global governance. Guided by Paul Adamson, a highly respected voice on European affairs based in Brussels, they explore how Europe should navigate a world increasingly shaped by geopolitical rivalry and economic competition.
How should the EU respond to Russia, the United States and China? Can Europe defend its interests in a world where trade, technology and regulation are increasingly used as instruments of power? What kind of Europe will emerge as the EU expands and takes on greater responsibility for its own defence and security?
The discussion also offers a valuable «view from outside» on Portugal’s four decades in the EU. Pascal Lamy followed Portugal’s European journey even before accession, while President Dalia Grybauskaitė brings the perspective of a country at the opposite geographical end of the EU. Together, they offer a comparative view of Portugal’s path in Europe, its contributions to the European project and the challenges the country faces in a rapidly changing international context.
Drawing on these different experiences, the session reflects on the future of the European Union, its capacity to exert influence in a more competitive and fragmented world and the role Portugal can play in building the Europe of the future.
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Conferences that bring together leading national and international experts on topics ranging from ethics to issues, from women to young people, from social security to ageing, from economics to science and the universe.
