The future of EU Strategic Autonomy

During the last years, the international community faced a series of complex crises, which still severely test the progressives’ resilience and ability to respond to the needs of the citizens.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a major challenge to the established economic world order at the same time directly threatening the security and well-being of the populations across the globe. Extraordinary effort and cooperation had to be delivered by the EU and internationally to secure vital medical devices and vaccine supplies while also addressing severe distortions to the global supply chains, worldwide shortages and economic downturn.

In addition, the Russian war in Ukraine has further exacerbated this difficult situation, throwing the world into a global food and energy crisis and putting into question the international security and cooperation system, built around the UN Charter.

These challenges evoke a vital discussion on the strategy the EU and its member states should apply to properly defend their citizens against various crises, secure increased autonomy against the actions of other superpowers and safeguard international cooperation.

Within this framework, the European Socialists and Democrats have drafted and finalised a policy paper on the S&D Open Strategic Autonomy concept setting their priorities as a global actor in this new international order. FEPS also had the opportunity to present the key takeaways of our flagship research project ‘Strategic Autonomy – pathways to progressive action’, which investigated the concept of ‘European strategic autonomy’ (ESA).

FEPS, along with S&D Group, Amicus Europae Foundation, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Foundation Jean-Jaurès, Daszyński Centre and Kozminski University, organised an open public discussion with invited keynote speakers, which was broadcasted live.

Among the speakers of that panel:

• Andrzej Koźmiński, Honorary President, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and Director of the Interdisciplinary Centre at Kozminski University.
• Aleksander Kwaśniewski, President Emeritus of the Republic of Poland
• Marek Belka, MEP, S&D Group in the European Parliament
• Katarzyna Pisarska, Chairwoman at the Casimir Pulaski Foundation

The debate was moderated by Bartosz Wieliński, Deputy editor-in-chief of the Gazeta Wyborcza.

This open public event was held at Kozminski University and was organised with the cooperation of Gazeta Wyborcza.

Ahead of the public discussion, we took part in an expert roundtable organised by the S&D Group with the aim of fostering a dialogue between MPs, students, researchers, journalists and policy experts on the notion of EU Strategic Autonomy.