The main aim of the program was to provide practical insight into V4 cooperation and to give young people the opportunity to gain experience in sharp, real life situations and to develop their soft skills.
The program consisted of an offline preparatory meeting in Budapest, an online session day before the last part and finally the 2,5 days simulation competition itself.
The simulation game started with a theoretical introduction by Attila Demkó, Head of the Centre for Geopolitics, Matthias Corvinus Collegium on the current state and future of the Visegrad defence and security cooperation. Mr Demko highlighted that security has always been an important topic for the Central European countries next to great powers. To create defense cooperation was also on the agenda since the Visegrad Group was formed. However when the V4 states joined NATO and the European Union as ultimate assurances, intensity of the V4 cooperation in the area of defence decreased.
The participants formed country delegations, elected representatives for each position (prime minister, state secretary, chief of cabinet, chief of press etc.)in the preparatory meeting in early November. The book of rules was also introduced on the occasion. In the simulation game participants negotiated the current foreign and defense policy issues within the V4, through formal and informal sessions, committee meetings and one on one discussions. During the negotiations external actors tried to influence the outcome of the negotiations by spreading fake news and disinformation campaigns like in real politics. Finally the delegations accepted a joint statement which addresses issues like Schengen border protection, V4 cyber security cooperation, refugee crisis on the Belarus border and energy security from a geopolitical perspective.