Events: Roundtable discussions in Prague

A select group of experts, diplomats, and journalists from Prague discussed challenges for the EU in the areas of defence, governance, and disinformation.

On 13 November 2024, Visegrad Insight held three roundtable discussions in Prague titled:

9:00-10:30 Common Responsibility for CEE Security
Every citizen of the European Union (EU) shares the common responsibility of upholding the values and principles that the Union stands for. Today, this also means taking responsibility for the security and resilience of the Union. In these uncertain times, with the peace dividend in Central Europe no longer guaranteed, it is crucial for nations to contribute to EU defence in a coordinated and effective manner.

10:45-12:15 Can debunking myths enhance the Czech Republic’s resilience against misinformation?
Debunking entails the unfortunate aspect of potentially amplifying disinformation narratives if not done well. Can debunking myths around Russia’s war against Ukraine, migration and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict actually enhance the Czech Republic’s resilience against misinformation?

12:30-13:45 Engaging Civil Society: Navigating NGO Involvement and Funding in the New European Commission
This roundtable discussion explored the anticipated relationship between the new European Commission and civil society, focusing on two critical areas: NGO access to legislative processes and EU funding dynamics. Participants examined the mechanisms for NGO involvement in consultations and working groups, discussing how these opportunities can influence policy-making and legislative initiatives.

Each discussion was connected with a presentation of a policy paper by Visegrad Insight:

1. On common military service by Magda Jakubowska, Vice-president of the Res Publica Foundation.
2. On funding democracy in Central-Eastern Europe by Marzenna Guz-Vetter, Senior Fellow, Visegrad Insight.
3. On fighting disinformation by Galan Dall, Managing Editor of Visegrad Insight.

Find the photo story below, authored by Ondřej Besperát:

Participants of the event received a PDF working copy of a policy report on European values that Visegrad Insight is preparing in EU Values Foresight project, supported by the European Commission’s Europe for Citizens Programme and the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV) framework cooperation.