“The Europe is …? – Long Live the New Europe!”

Following the UGSPN-conference tradition, which aims at elevating key events and topics that drive national, regional and global dynamics, the 2025 conference titled “THE EUROPE IS…? – LONG LIVE THE NEW EUROPE!” attempts to address the question of the European Idea and its future and challenges associated with it.

We are witnessing the worrying tendencies of growing transnationalization and coordination efforts of autocratic regimes that lead to direct and brutal attacks against democratic societies and nations. Therefore, the conference seeks to identify potent strategies to counter such attacks, as well as to identify key weaknesses (whether strategic, conceptual or operational) of liberal democracies to resist and prove themselves resilient against authoritarian advances. Furthermore, while the prospects of a new American isolationism trigger the old/new idea of the European autonomy in security and defence, the reality and practical challenges along with the existing systemic policy deficits, make the EU’s attempts to navigate to “safe waters” quite questionable.

Key panels will analyze Europe’s pursuit of security and defense autonomy amid shifting transatlantic relations, the dilemmas surrounding EU-enlargement with a focus on Eastern Europe, and the prospects for cooperation and integration in the South Caucasus. Further, the discussions will address the entrenchment of autocratic regimes, exploring societal resistance and institutional resilience. The discussion will engage critically with the role of political leaders and party structures in addressing contemporary challenges, including democratic backsliding and the war in Ukraine.