Debate: the 35th Anniversary of the Fall of the Iron Curtain

14.11.2024


On November 13, 2024, the Delegation of Prague to the EU and the new Prague think tank Strategeo Institute organised a debate related to the 35th Anniversary of the Fall of the Iron Curtain - geopolitical, European and regional causes and consequences of this major political and systemic shift.

Speakers: Karel Kovanda, former Ambassador of the Czech Republic to NATO

Alexandr Vondra, member of the European Parliament

Jiří Šedivý, Director of the European Defence Agency

Tony Barber, European Affairs Commentator of The Financial Times

moderated by Jan Macháček, President of the Strategeo Institute

The topic of the debate was the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Iron curtain with a focus on geopolitical, European and regional consequences of this major political and systemic shift and also touch its causes. What was behind it and why did it happen? Why did this happen so quickly? Why was it mostly non violent? Was it right to speak about the end of history and the rosy future of the liberal democracy and market economy? What are the current challenges for former communist countries? Market economy still prevails, but aggressive authorianism and sharp political polarization is on the rise.