By Patrícia Lisa

The year 2016 will be remembered as the occasion in which an EU Member State submitted its membership to the EU to a referendum and 52% of the voters chose to leave, prompting a substantial shift in the EU political agenda for next time to come. To deal with the terms and details of the divorce is at the top of the EU and U.K. agendas while the future of both parties is being dwelt upon. Long lasting questions on EU’s architecture, models and purposes are now taking place. A renewed EU will most certainly come out of this debate along with U.K.’s rebalanced international dimension. The rest of the world is paying great attention.

The initiated two years project “DIALOGUE ON EUROPE – Rebuilding trust and redefining Europe in tough times” of the Das Progressive Zentrum, in cooperation with the German Federal Foreign Office, most opportunely seeks to contribute to this Debate helping to build new, mutual understandings between and across European societies. Transnational dialogues with wide range of expertise from “next generation” of thinkers from Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy, France and Germany focus on the most pressing challenges facing the European project: sustainable Growth; Migration and Integration; Populism and Social Cohesion.

With great enthusiasm and interest I’m a participating in the “Dialogues” as a member of the “Thinking Lab” on Migration. Like Migration’s external and global dimension, the other challenges are not entirely European. They are in fact part of the global agenda. Evident links with the aims and purposes of the Global Diplomacy Lab could be further envisaged in future GDL’s editions. Searching for new forms of flexible and inclusive solutions to reaffirm world’s democratic values, human rights and solidarity towards a more inclusive global order necessarily builds upon connecting initiatives like these.

About the author:

Patrícia Lisa is a legal assistant for international and EU affairs, engaged in international negotiations for eleven years.

Photo Credit: Christian Lue

Published on July 2016.