Next Thursday at 10 a.m., the Círculo de Bellas Artes presents a day of reflection and debate in its Valle-Inclán hall to discuss the past, present and future challenges facing the EU from the Nordic and Spanish perspectives.
With the Spanish presidency of the EU Council starting on 1 July and Finland’s recent entry into NATO (and Sweden’s expressed desire to do the same), this is an interesting time to pay attention to these issues from multiple perspectives.
The day will be divided into two parts. The first will consist of a series of lectures on the relations that both Spain and the Nordic countries have had with Europe from a historical and cultural perspective. This will frame and provide context for the second half of the day, which will consist of two round tables. The first of these will be Internal challenges and opportunities facing the EU. It will discuss issues of current relevance such as the opportunities and challenges presented by the energy transition; social inequalities within the EU; the growing influence of populism in member states; the challenges and potential of Artificial Intelligence in the age of disinformation; and the prospect of further EU enlargement.
The second roundtable, External Challenges and Opportunities. The return of geopolitics to the EU, will discuss the EU’s strategic autonomy; the concepts of European security and NATO; Europe’s new geopolitical position and the various positions of the member countries; as well as the EU’s relations with the Mediterranean region and Latin America.
