Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has invited Europe to examine its own position in the world, particularly when it comes to its security, prosperity, and values. To lead this process of reflection and examination, the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) hosted its PISM Strategic Ark Forum. MLI Foreign Policy Program Director, Shuvaloy Majumdar, participated in this Forum, providing his insights as to whether Europe is a major player in its own right or merely a playground for more powerful actors.
“I think of Europe as a collection of a few arrangements,” said Majumdar, noting that the EU, European Council, NATO, and the sovereign decisions of states as individuals all work to create a range of different frameworks for what constitutes “Europe.” Majumdar’s preferred framework of analysis focuses on looking at individual member states and understanding their ambitions.
For some states that allow for foreign interference, economic dependence on China, and weakness in the face of authoritarianism, “Europe and its members states have been subjected to becoming a playground for authoritarian ambitions,” argued Majumdar. However, there is a growing group of states that are driven by conviction including the Baltic countries, Czechia, Poland, Sweden, and Finland “who seek to define a different understanding of what Europe’s mutual security needs and requirements are.”
“I do not believe that there can be the accomplishment of mutual prosperity without a common understanding of mutual security.”
To learn more about the PISM Strategic Ark, click here. Watch or listen to Majumdar’s full remarks below:
