European prospects are weakened by citizens and populist politicians blaming the European Union for their own socio-economic aggravation and policy failures. Above that – the migrant crisis of 2015 was unexpected and badly managed by the European Union. Many European politicians have not yet come to grips with how to manage migration, economic slowdown, and increasing unemployment rates among the youth. But should the European Union take all the blame for recent policy failures? Brussels is an easy target for national politics when sound labour, economic growth, border control or migration policies are not in place or properly functioning. What is the tolerable political and economic level of populism for the European Union? What are the potential costs of populism to Europeans and what can the European Union do?
Prof. Dr. Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, former President of the Republic of Latvia
H.E. Mr Sven Mikser, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Estonia
Mr Frans Timmermans, First Vice-President of the EU Commission in charge of Better Regulation,
Inter- Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights
Dr. James Jay Carafano, The Heritage Foundation’s Vice President, Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, E. W. Richardson Fellow, and Director of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies
Moderator: Mr David Eades, Presenter, BBC World News
Concluding remarks: H.E. Mr Edgars Rinkēvičs, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia