19 – 21 JUNE 2018 PRAGUE EUROPEAN SUMMIT SUMMARY LOBKOWICZ PALACE & CZERNIN PALACE Základní varianty značky Úřadu vlády České republiky: Of�ice of the Government of the Czech Republic ORGANIZERS Of�ice of the Government of the Czech Republic STRATEGIC PARTNER Of�ice of the Government of the Czech Republic MAIN INSTITUTIONAL PARTNER MAIN INSTITUTIONAL PARTNER INSTITUTIONAL PARTNER Colors of O ci l Logo BLUE GREY BLACK CMYK 070-000-020-000 CMYK 000-000-000-060 CMYK 000-000-000-100 P ntone Co ted 3115 C P ntone Cool Gr y 5 C P ntone Bl ck C P ntone Unco ted 3105 U P ntone Cool Gr y 5 U P ntone Bl ck U RGB 003-191-215 RGB 102-102-102 RGB 000-000-000 WEB #03BFD7 WEB #666666 WEB #000000 MAIN PARTNER MAIN PARTNER MAIN PARTNER PARTNER PARTNER SUPPORTER Prague SUPPORTER SUPPORTER SUPPORTER PRAGUE TALKS PARTNER FOREWORD Dear Reader, we are proud to present to you summary of the fourth annual Prague European Summit conference. At the time when the sense of acute crisis of European political community had finally withered but uncertainty remained as the EU was to become a union of one less, trust in the public institutions was challenged across the continent, social paranoia empowered the prophets of easy solutions to complex problems, disinformat on campaigns posed ever increasing challenges that the external environment submitted no shortage of either, an illustrious crowd of statesmen, public servants, academics, businessmen, journalists and young leaders gathered in Prague again to engage in a frank debate about which direction the EU should take to advance the European idea and the vision of peace and prosperity on the continent. It was no accident. The Prague European Summit had become an established forum for such dialogue. Over the course of three days, many pressing issues of today – and of tomorrow – were debated in a variety of formats: from exclusionary populism, the prospects of EU’s strategic autonomy or the role in the Union’s neighbourhood, the future of labour, ramifications of the new financial framework to the thorny dynamic of the transatlantic relationship. To maintain and benefit from the EU’s transformative potential, in caring for the less fortunate or the environment, both at home and abroad, the Union’s institutions – truly historical achievements in the century of two world wars, countless genocides and economic crisis of unprecedented proportions – can no longer be taken for granted. A conversation must continue of how to best adapt the EU to the new geopolitical, economic and social realities faced by European societies, and how to preserve in Europe a space for authentic politics in which various interests meet and compete, but which also allows for compromise and collective action. A conversation must continue, and we are pleased to assure you that it will, soon enough, at the fifth Prague European Summit that is to take place on May 27-29, 2019. Symbolically, it will launch just as the final results of the European Parliament election will be announced, foresh dowing that the key subjects of discussion will include the many critical junctures that Europe is now undergoing, from the new political configuration in the institutions (European Parliament, European Commission) to Brexit or the culmination of the Bratislava Process at the Sibiu Summit. Economy and growth, external affairs, the future of European democracy and her manifold internal challenges, and innovation and technology will be featured both in the main programme and the many side events that our production team is already planning tirelessly. Vladimír Bartovic Ondřej Ditrych Director, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy Director, Institute of International Relations Prague PRAGUE EUROPEAN SUMMIT 2018 PRAGUE EUROPEAN SUMMIT 2018 impacts on labour, the new Multiannual Financial Framework, exclusionary populism, and the increasingly contentious The 2018 Prague European Summit was the event’s fourth iteraton, transatlantic relationship. reflecting and building on past years’ themes: the migration crisis (2015), Brexit (2016), the Bratislava Summit (2017), and now The core of the summit took place at Lobkowicz Palace in the Charting a Way Forward for the EU. Europe has weathered several Prague Castle and Czernin Palace, headquarters of the crises, but serious challenges remain for the Union and it must Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Three ‘Prague Talks’ were also reinvent itself to endure the difficult times ahead. The Prague held around the city, and ‘Discussion Breakfasts’ were hosted by European Summit, organised by the EUROPEUM Institute for the Hungarian and Croatian embassies and the Institute for European Policy and the Institute of International Relations in Politics and Society. As per tradition, the prestigious Prague, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the ‘Vision for Europe’ Award ceremony was a highlight of the Prague Czech Republic, provides a forum where high level professionals European Summit. Additionally, this year was the first for a with diverse profiles can brainstorm solutions for maintaining a parallel programme, the Future European Leaders Forum, which strong European Union. Over the course of three days, in more brought together 30 exceptional young people in the fields than 20 panels and speeches, experts discussed topics including of politics, science, business, media and civil society for European strategic autonomy, defence cooperation, technological networking and capacity building. 6 | PRAGUE EUROPEAN SUMMIT CONTENTS CONTENTS Day 1: 8 Words of Welcome 8 Keynote Address EU: Ever Closer to the Citizens? 8 Opening Plenary Session Populism and Demagogy: Are We Really out of the Woods? 9 Breakout Session A Quo Vadis European Neighbourhood? 10 Breakout Session B Automation, Robotisation, and Transformation of the Labour Market: Impacts for Central Europe 11 Plenary Panel Communicating Europe? Public Perceptions of the EU and its Reform 14 Night Owl Session Fiscal and Social Covergence: Is a Middle Ground Possible? 15 Day 2: 16 High Level Chat A Road to Sibiu and Beyond 16 Parallel Panel A Mapping the EU‘s Relationship with the US 17 Parallel Panel B Future of the Cohesion Policy 18 Plenary Panel Financial Framework Beyond 2020 Prague European Summit Study Presentation 21 Parallel Panel A European Defence Cooperation: A Symbol for Future European Integration? 22 Parallel Panel B Spitzenkandidaten: Shaping EU for the Future 25 Keynote Address Choosing the West: The United States and Central Europe 27 “Vision for Europe” Award 28 Day 3: 30 Plenary Panel The EU’s Global Role: Capacities, Credibility, and Coherence 30 Prague European Innovation Chat 32 Plenary Panel Brexit: Two Years Behind, One Year Ahead 34 Closing Remarks 35 Partners 36 PRAGUE EUROPEAN SUMMIT | 7 PRAGUE EUROPEAN SUMMIT 2018 – DAY 1 DAY 1 migration source countries and by bolstering Europe’s outer borders. It is up to border nations, especially in Southern Europe, to Words of Welcome maintain strict border control, but they must be materially supported by other EU states in order to ease the financial burden on nations enacting the security plans. Vladimír Bartovic, the Director of EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, welcomed participants with optimism, citing Babiš also addressed EU integration, arguing that further integration economic growth and enduring support for the European project. efforts must be preceded by deepening the four basic He proclaimed that the time is ripe for European leaders to make freedoms at the core of the union: movement of goods, capital, constructive decisions about Europe’s future and underlined that services, and labour. He voiced Czechia’s concern over “tendencies the aim of the Prague European Summit is to be a part of this to disintegrate the single market”. Another focal point was the process by generating ideas and proposals. future of the Eurozone, which, according to the Prime Minister, is marked by a rift between Northern European countries, pushing Ondřej Ditrych, the Director of the Prague Institute of International for tighter rules and penalties, and Southern European countries, Relations, acknowledged that dialogue is ever more crucial as the advocating financial solidarity and redistribution. Once the sense of acute crisis in the EU has abated, but trust in public Eurozone resolves its “legacy issues” and stabilizes its public institutions remains low and truth itself is up for debate. As such, finances, Czechia will consider membership. He added that the the Prague European Summit provides a valuable venue for next EU budget should prioritize funding for external border academics, journalists, politicians, civil society and business security, while allowing more flexibility for member states to best people to find ways to adapt EU institutions to an increasingly meet the needs of their citizens. mutable reality. Prime Minister Babiš closed his remarks by arguing that Keynote Address euroscepticism can only be defeated by “involving citizens in the EU: Ever Closer to the Citizens? process of future development” and thereby upholding the EU motto, “united in diversity”. The Keynote speeches were delivered by the Prime Minister of European Commissioner Věra Jourová began her speech by Czechia, Andrej Babiš, followed by the European Commissioner of quoting Vaclav Havel, “the fact that I feel myself to be a European Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Věra Jourová. doesn’t mean that I stop being a Czech”1. Thus, she reinforced the relevance of Europe as the “motherland of our motherland”, with