Prague, Czech Republic – November 14, 2023

commenced yesterday with the opening event called “In the Face of War – European Dialogue.” The launch event was held at Profesní Dům, Malostranské náměstí 25, Prague 1, with the distinguished speakers sharing their insights on the most pressing issues of today.

The opening ceremony featured Mats Braun (Institute for International Relations) Alexis Dutertre (French Ambassador in Czechia), Martin Vokálek (EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy), and Eva Voldřichová Beránková (Charles University). Addressing the EU’s response to the war in Ukraine, the panel discussion ‘European Unity Facing the War’ explored challenges in security, economics, energy, and geopolitics. Speakers included David Cvach, Director for the European Union, Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France; Jaroslav Kurfürst, Director General for European Issues, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic; Carlota García Encina, Senior Analyst for the US and Transatlantic Relations, Elcano Royal Institute; Oleksandra Matviïchuk, President of the Centre for Civil Liberties (Ukraine) awarded with the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize; and Luuk van Middelaar, professor, historian, and political philosopher, Brussels Institute for Geopolitics. Laurent Marchand of Ouest-France moderated the discussion.

Examining the diverse perceptions of Europe in different regions, the second panel discussion called ‘Reconnecting Narratives in Europe’ delved into historical figures, shared narratives, and the various facets that define Europe. The panellists included Christine Cadot, Professor of Political Sciences Paris 8 University; Thomas Gomart, Director, Institut français des relations internationales; Kateřina Králová, Historian, Department of Russian and East European Studies, Charles University in Prague; Kristupas Sabolius, Professor of Philosophy, Vilnius University in Lithuania. Mateusz Chmurski, Director of CEFRES (Centre Français de Recherche en Sciences Sociales) in Prague, hosted the session.

Main programme of the Prague European Summit

The main programme will be held on the 15th and 16th of November in Liechtenstein Palace.

On Wednesday 15th of November, the panel discussions will cover the topics of sustainable and prosperous global trade relations, EU’s Neighbourhood Policy amid the Ukraine war, and the European position in the new security geopolitical order post-Russian invasion. Among many distinguished speakers, we are delighted to welcome Jan Lipavský (the Minister of Foreign Affairs Czechia), Sabine Weyand (European Commission), Luuk van Middelaar (BIG Institute), Oleksandra Matviïchuk (President of the Centre for Civil Liberties awarded with the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize), Eric Maurice (Robert Schuman Foundation), and others. Concluding the main programme of the first day, the Vision for Europe Award bestowed by Tomáš Dub, the Deputy Minister for European Affairs of the Czech Republic, will be awarded to one distinguished personality for their work in striving for a better European future for all.

The programme on the 15th of November will also feature additional discussions:, ‘Imaginaries of Revenge’ Summit Talk in cooperation with Charles University and the Embassy of Lithuania in the Czech Republic and Summit Talk ‘Half-time of the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility: What have we learned so far?’, organised in cooperation with the Centre for European Studies at the Prague University of Economics and Business.

On Thursday the 16th November, the Vice President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová accepted our invitation to chat with the participants of our Future European Leaders Forum. We are also happy to welcome the Finnish minister Anders Adlercreutz, Eduard Hulicius (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic), Marrie Donnay (European Commission), Matthias Koch (Australian Federal Economic Chamber) and Chris Skidmore (Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom, among others). The topics on the table will follow the economic topics of the first day, focusing on the opportunities in Europe, brought by the twin transition and the post-pandemic recovery in the EU. We will conclude by looking inside the European Union – to its future decision-making processes and the role of the smaller members, to what the Central European perception of the EU is, and what the future of the Union should look like. For a more detailed programme, please refer to our website.

The success of the event is attributed to the collaboration of our institutional partners: the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic, Representation of the European Commission in the Czech Republic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Hanns Seidel Stiftung, European Investment Bank and City of Prague. We would like to thank our main partner Mercedes-Benz PRAHA, and Institut Français for their support, as well as our media partners EUObserver, Hospodářské noviny, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, NE Global, Ekonom and Euractiv.cz.