Tomas Petricek, Institute of International Relations/ Former Minister of Foreign Affairs (Czech Republic), November 29th 2023

The Seoul National University Institute of International Affairs held the “24th Global Prominence Seminar” on November 29, 2023 in the International Conference Hall (Bldg. 140-2, Room 401).
Director of the Institute of International Affairs Seong-Ho Sheen moderated the seminar, and Tomáš Petříček, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, gave a presentation entitled the “EU’s Geopolitical Challenges: Central European Outlook.”

Minister Petříček reviewed the new geopolitical realities, including the Covid-19 pandemic, US-China competition, the Russia war of aggression against Ukraine, and others, facing the European Union, and argued that these recent phenomena are challenging the EU’s traditional self-image of preferencing soft power over hard power and relying on interdependencies to prevent conflict. Minister Petříček also answered a variety of questions from the floor on domestic politics throughout Europe.