Security policy is key to reviving the Eastern Partnership

Returning to her alma mater as a panellist for the EUCON Round Table, Constanze Aka, Researcher in East European Studies from Berlin, who has intensively worked with Ukrainian civil society, described how the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine changed the Ukrainian civil society’s view of the EaP. Before 2022, civil society was sceptical as progress towards the desired EU accession was slow. Since Ukraine became candidate for EU membership parts of the civil society see chances to revitalise the EaP, if it develops a strong security dimension, covering military, internal, and cyber security alike. Others remain sceptical, fearing that the EaP will remain incapable of addressing current challenges.

Reporting from Moldova, Mihai Mogildea, Deputy Director of the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE) in Chișinău, also found security to be the top priority for a future EaP. Especially investments in Moldovan defence capabilities are needed. As the economic and financial support provided by the EU is of crucial importance to the country, a smooth transition from the European Neighbourhood Policy to enlargement policy is a key concern in the country.

For Dr Magda Arsenyan, Managing Editor of the Journal of Political Science: Bulletin of Yerevan University at the Yerevan State University, security is also key to the future relations between Armenian and the EU. Armenians expect from the EU to act as a security provider in its neighbourhood. While appreciating that the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, is engaged as a moderator in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Dr Arsenyan criticised that the EU is biased towards the Azerbaijani position, not fully acknowledging Armenian national interest.

“The Eastern Partnership is a victim of its own success.” Because EU association under the EaP worked well, Moldova and Ukraine a now candidate countries, found Marta Wytrykowska, Deputy Head of Division for the Eastern Partnership, European External Action Service, who tuned in via Zoom from Brussels. Currently, the EaP is not static, but in a process of adaptation to changing expectations of its partners. Two civil CSDP missions in Armenia and Moldova show the EU’s responsiveness.

Bringing together different perspectives from partner countries, future EU member states, and EU institutions in Passau, was the added value of the EUCON Round Table. Like the host of the evening, Florence Ertel, Director of the Science Hub for Europe and Research Associate at the Jean Monnet Chair for European Politics at the University of Passau, stimulated a dialogue between the diverse actors invited to the EUCON Round Table, the EU should apply an inclusive approach to develop the future design of the EaP together with its partner countries. Prof Dr Christina Hansen, Vice President for International Affairs, Europe and Diversity of the University of Passau, reminded the participants of the importance of also considering different views from within each society.

In research, such an inclusive approach is the specific feature of the EUCON Network, presented by Dr Meissner. It offers researchers from Armenia, Austria, Germany, and Hungary the opportunity to conduct common analyses, combining their different views from inside the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union. Vice President Prof Dr Hansen underlined that supporting such transdisciplinary and trans-societal approaches to research and strengthening the cooperation with academic partners is a priority of the University of Passau.