Event
Details
Relations between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom have been marked by tensions and disagree- ments over the settlement of the withdrawal process in recent years, following the 2016 vote by a narrow majority of British voters to leave the Union. The "divorce" was officially completed two years ago, on 31 January 2020. The no- deal Brexit feared by both sides was initially averted, but debates were nevertheless reawakened by the difficulty of reaching consensus on the arrangements for Northern Ireland. The "Global Britain Strategy" also contains an evident desire to detach itself more strongly from the European continent in economic terms and to turn to a number of other democracies with high economic potential. At the same time, domestic political dissonance is increasing: Scotland's separatist demands are growing, the Northern Ireland unity government is on the brink of collapse, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in the midst of the most serious crisis of his time in office. While Britons were expected to refrain from any social contact during the hard lockdown in 2020, several garden parties with staff members probably took place at his official residence in Downing Street.
What scenarios can be expected in the event of no agreement regarding the Northern Ireland Protocol? Are the King- dom's foreign policy ambitions realistic given its limited economic strength? What concrete measures could be taken to improve bilateral relations? Two years after Brexit, what is the assessment of British politicians and the public? Does the pending agreement between London and Brussels still matter against the backdrop of domestic political developments?
The event "KAS Europe Talks: The Relations between the EU and the United Kingdom in challenging times" will take place on Tuesday, 22 February 2022 from 11:00 - 12:00 CET via Zoom. We look forward to discussing the above- mentioned topics with our colleague Matthias Barner, Director of the KAS Office for the United Kingdom and Ireland. After the conversation between Mr. Barner and Dr. Hardy Ostry, Director of the European Office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, participants will have the opportunity to contribute their questions to the discussion. The event will be held in German and will also be simultaneously translated into English.
In order to register, please use the following LINK.
We are looking forward to your participation!
