Practical information
Registration for this event is now closed.
Ifri/CFA breakfast organised with the Vienna Institute for Internation Economic Studies (wiww) in the Framework of the Rencontres de Schwarzenbergerplatz.
Context et objectives
Over the past year, the topic of connectivity has picked up steam in the European Union. Just a couple of days ago, the European Commission launched its Global Gateway, the new European Strategy to boost “smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport and strengthen health, education and research systems across the world”. The initiative, aimed to mobilise up to €300 billion in investments between 2021 and 2027, is new in two ways: it is an attempt to internalise the logic of strategic competition with the China, which has gained ground in the past years; and it is an attempt to increase EU visibility through better branding, given the scope of the EU’s existing engagements worldwide. But will this renewed strategy be fit for the challenges the EU ambitions to meet? How will it interact with China’s Belt and Road initiative in Europe and beyond?
The wiiw in collaboration with the Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe (CFA/ÖFZ) and the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) would like to invite you to discuss these issues and many others. The event will take place in the framework of the Rencontres de Schwarzenbergplatz and at the occasion of the inauguration of the night train Vienna-Paris.
Programme
9h00 Opening
Hans Dietmar Schweisgut, Secretary General of the Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe and former Head of the European Union Delegation to China
9h10 Panel Discussion
Romana Vlahutin, Ambassador at Large for Connectivity, European External Action Service
Mario Holzner, Executive Director of the Vienna Institute for international Economic Studies
Plamen Tonchev, MERICS European China Policy Fellow and Head of Asia Unit at the Institute of International Economic Relations, Athens
Moderation: Hans Dietmar Schweisgut, Secretary General of the Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe and former Head of the European Union Delegation to China
10h30 end of the event
Working language: English
Inscriptions : https://form.jotform.com/213392510274349
Other events
Lunch debate with Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand
Discussion co-chaired by Thierry de Montbrial, Executive Chairman of Ifri, member of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences, and Marc Hecker, Deputy Director of Ifri (in English without translation).
North Korea Beyond Nukes: Focusing on the Human Rights Challenge
Debates surrounding North Korea are primarily focused on security issues, particularly nuclear and ballistic concerns, relegating the critical situation of the North Korean population and human rights violations to the background. The lack of information about the real living conditions of North Koreans contributes to the absence of attention and discussion on this crucial issue.
Shaping Europe’s Technological Sovereignty
In the wake of Donald Trump's re-election in the United States, Europeans face a crucial imperative: rethinking their sovereigny, especially in the technological realm. What will be the strategic priorities and action levers of the new European Commission on this issue? What assessment can we make of the previous Commission’s achievements and challenges in navigating Sino-American technological competition, transatlantic dependencies, and emerging global partnerships?