POSTPONED: 'Book Talk with MEP Urmas Paet on the Future of the EU’s Foreign Policy'
08 December 2021, 5:00 pm–6:30 pm

Due to travel restrictions this event has been postponed. We are very sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
This event is free.
Event Information
Open to
- All
Availability
- Yes
Cost
- Free
Organiser
-
Department of European & International Social & Political Studies (EISPS)
Location
-
IAS Common GroundGround Floor, South WingUCL, Gower StreetLondonWC1E 6BTUnited Kingdom
This event is organised by UCL's Department of European & International Social & Political Studies (EISPS).
From Spectator to Actor. Changing Gear in EU Foreign Policy
Urmas Paet
The EU has long aspired to play a role in world affairs commensurate with its status as an economic power, an ambition embodied in the common foreign and security policy (CFSP), the European External Action Service and a host of programmes, policies and mechanisms.
In this call to action, Renew Europe MEP Urmas Paet, who was Estonian foreign minister from 2005-2014, forensically examines the EU’s too-often ineffective performance in the face of a wide range of foreign policy challenges. Lack of consensus among the member states, slow decision-making, strategic confusion, poor engagement with potential partners and an absence of real conviction are constant themes.
The inescapable conclusion is that in foreign policy the EU, while a source of ceaseless pronouncements and declarations, remains a minor player in a world where Great Power politics have reasserted themselves – and a world in which systemic challenges to the western democratic model, from Russia, China and others have become more powerful than when the CFSP was initiated. Mr Paet’s theme is to learn from the past, not dwell on it, and to grasp the nettle to achieve a unified and effective strategy before it is too late. Bold, but realistic and pragmatic ambition must replace vague and ill-defined aspirations which produce nothing.
As he writes “It is simply no longer enough to stride around the world offering hope, values and a cheque book. The EU and its member states need … to prioritise and strategise, speak with one voice and with common goals, and do so with clarity and consistency.”
About the speakers:
Urmas Paet
Member of the European Parliament (Renew Europe Group)
He majored in Political Science and started out as a journalist in Estonian Radio and daily newspaper “Postimees”.