Debate: Europe's East-West Divide: Myth or Reality?

Debate: Europe's East-West Divide: Myth or Reality?

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A European Success Story? Central Europe from democratic revolutions to EU Accession (1989-2004) and beyond

Debate: Europe's East-West Divide: Myth or Reality?

Democratic revolutions of 1989 and the adhesion to the European Union in 2004 allowed Central Europe to achieve an unprecedented economic growth, establish liberal democracies and converge to a large degree with the Western Europe. These events also played a fundamental role in the contemporary history of Europe because they reshaped the architecture of the European Union. However, today Central Europe is experiencing -especially Hungary and Poland- a gradual reversal of the achievements of 1989 and 2004. Again, these developments have relevance for the entire EU because they may strengthen illiberal trends which are on the rise around the continent. On the other hand, the idea that the East-West divide in Europe is persistent and deeply rooted in history, is regaining popularity. The main goal of our debate is to discuss if the vision of Europe’s East-West divide is rather a media cliché or a real phenomenon.

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Agenda

16:00-16:05 Welcoming words (Adam Balcer – Senior Fellow, WiseEuropa)

16:05-16:15 Presentation of the special issue (Iwona Reichardt – Deputy Editor in Chief, New Eastern Europe Journal)

16:15-16:45 Keynote speech (Catherine Horel - Historian)

16:45-17:45 – Roundtable discussion – “CEE democratic revolutions and EU adhesion – Overcoming exaggerated divisions between East and West”
o David Nonhoff – Research Associate, Institut für Europäische Politik
o István Hegedűs – President, Hungarian Europe Society
o Iwona Reichardt – Deputy Editor in Chief, New Eastern Europe Journal
o Vit Beneš - Lecturer, Metropolitan Prague University
o Moderator – Adam Balcer – Senior Fellow, WiseEuropa

17.45-18.05 – Screening of the movie “A European success story? Central Europe from democratic revolutions to EU accession (1989-2004) and beyond”.

18.05-18.10 – Closing remarks

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Invitation: 30 years after peaceful revolution. Remembering German reunification as a success story for Europe? October 27 (Wednesday), 2021 15:00–17:00h Online Event (ZOOM) Programme