Europe's self-assertion in tomorrow's world

The debate on the future of Europe is as old as the European Union itself. However, this debate is more urgent than ever, because the internal centrifugal forces within the EU have never been as strong as they are today. While the US under President Biden is once again claiming its traditional role as the leading Western power and opposing the rising, authoritarian China and Russia, the EU is in danger of missing the chance to preserve the "freedom of self-development" (Richart Löwenthal) for the future as well. How can Europe assert itself as an independent force between the US, China and Russia in order to continue to exert influence on the global agenda in the future?

After the welcome by the Pro-Rector Prof. Ellen Bos, AUB and Beate Martin, Head of the FES Budapest Office, the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Katarina Barley (via Zoom), and the former Foreign Minister of Hungary, Peter Balazs, will comment on how the EU can strengthen internal cohesion and assert itself between the US and China and vis-à-vis Russia. Both will be happy to take your questions and comments. Moderation: Dr. Heinrich Kreft.

We look forward to your participation and a lively discussion!

Please kindly note that registration takes place between 4.30 pm and 5.00 pm

Registration (live at the university; obligatory): HERE
Registration (Zoom)*: HERE

*Because of the current covid situation for the students of the AUB is only the online participation allowed.

Dr. Katarina Barley is Vice-President of the European Parliament and member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and substitute member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. In the run up to the European elections in May 2019 she was the lead candidate of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). Prior to that, she was a member of the German Bundestag from 2013 to 2019. During this period she successively served as SPD Secretary General, Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Acting Federal Minister for Labour and Federal Minister for Justice and Consumer Protection. Before her time in politics, she worked as a lawyer, research assistant at the Federal Constitutional Court and as a judge at the Regional Court of Trier and the Wittlich District Court.

Prof. Dr. Péter Balázs is Professor emeritus of Central European University where he established the Center for European Neighborhood Studies in 2005 and was its Director until 2019. Research activities of Prof. Balázs are centered on the foreign policy of the EU and problems of the late modernization and European integration of the Eastern part of the continent. He also analyzes the questions of European governance including the future of European institutions. Péter Balázs graduated in Budapest at the Faculty of Economics of the “Karl Marx” University (later: Budapest School of Economics, today Corvinus University). He received his PhD degree and habilitated at the same University. He is a ScD of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. In parallel with his government and diplomatic career, he has been teaching and doing research.  He was nominated Professor of the Corvinus University in 2000 and joined the Central European University as a full time Professor in 2005. He is regularly teaching at various Hungarian and foreign universities, lecturing in English, French, German and Hungarian. After the regime change in 1990, Prof. Balázs joined the Government of Hungary several times. He was State Secretary for Industry and Trade (1992-1993) and State Secretary for European Integration (2002-2003). He was Ambassador of Hungary in Denmark (1994-1996), Germany (1997-2000) and to the EU in Brussels (2003-2004). He was also the Government Representative of Hungary in the European Convention drafting the Constitutional Treaty, which became later, after several modifications, the Lisbon Treaty. In 2004, he was nominated the first Hungarian member of the European Commission responsible for regional policy. In 2009-2010, he was Foreign Minister of Hungary.

Covid Information

The 3-G rule (tested, recovered or fully vaccinated) applies throughout the campus of the Andrássy University Budapest. Proof of this must be presented when entering the university. In the case of testing, official proof of a negative PCR test (not older than 72 hours) or an antigen test (not older than 48 hours) must be presented.

Please note that it is compulsory to wear a mask in closed rooms at the AUB (except the speaker in a speech).