Lecture

Future of the EU

Partner: Prague Centre for Transatlantic Relations
Keywords: Democracy, EU, Europe

May 4, the Prague Centre for Transatlantic Relations (PCTR) in cooperation with New Direction held a public lecture by Thierry Baudet, founder of Dutch political party Forum for Democracy. The lecture titled “Future of the EU” was opened by Jan Zahradil, a Member of the European Parliament and the debate was moderated by the PCTR Director Alexandr Vondra.

According to Thierry Baudet, we all have been shaped by the 1990s. In that decade the real challenges were overlooked and therefore in the past 10 years two new enemies appeared. It is the universalism of Sharia on the one hand and the transnational Eurocrats promoting universalist post-national identity on the other. While they are different enemies, the result is the same – the destruction of nation state.

Thierry Baudet noted that two referenda held in Netherlands showed Eurosceptic views and that majority of Dutch want to be outside of the EU. But the political class is completely uninterested and it is evident that they represent rather Brussels than the Dutch people. Thus Forum for Democracy was founded last year to oppose the cartel of political parties that agree on continuation of migration and continuation of the EU. According to Thierry Baudet, the EU threatens our civilization with its disastrous economic policy. EU policymakers do not care about economic consequences and they are not touch with reality.

Thierry Baudet introduced the concept of oikophobia, which is a fear from our own culture, our nation, our language and our history. This is an opposite of xenophobia and because of this, the whole history of the West before the development of the EU is regarded as wrong. The universities then serve as platform for ideological training where other opinions are made taboo and labeled as xenophobic, racist or sexist. Students are then not even aware that other discourses exist. Successful political movement thus needs to be active also in cultural and educational offensive against the mainstream to help revitalize rich and beautiful European culture.

Debate with the audience followed. The first question was regarding the Association treaty between the EU and Ukraine and why it was rejected by the Dutch referendum. Thierry Baudet said this treaty shows what is wrong with the EU because ignoring social and cultural differences within Ukraine torn down the country. Member of the Czech Parliament, Bohuslav Chalupa, expressed his concerns that without reforms, the EU can fall apart. But according to Thierry Baudet, the EU is unreformable because all the different member states have different desires that negate each other and therefor bureaucrats take charge.

Following questions covered for example the possibilities of sharing alternative opinions against the mainstream media. Thierry Baudet said that there is a way to do it in going around them and utilizing the social media. Questions were also asked about the relations with Russia. According to Thierry Baudet, the West is still stuck in the Cold War mentality. But the world has changed and we can work it out with Russia. International relations are rather about interests than about friendship and we usually get better results when normally speaking with our neighbors.

The event was held with the kindly support of our partners the New Direction and the European Conservatives and Reformists. We would also like to thank media partners: CEVRO, Civic Institute, Pravý břeh a DEMAS.