The European Liberal Forum (ELF) in cooperation with the Institute for Politics and Society invites you to a debate Role of NATO in the time of hybrid wars.
Over the last few years, Europe has been in a strained security situation. There is a number of new emerging threats. It is not only illegal migration but mostly disinformation and influence operations with the aim to disrupt the unity and ability to take action of NATO member countries, to destabilize democratic societies, to bring chaos into them and to undermine confidence in institutions. The main player in this area is Putin´s Russia which militarily supports the conflict in eastern Ukraine and Russia is also considered as a security threat near NATO and EU countries.
Russia also targets its subversive and disinformation activities against alliance member states. One of the points of Russian information operations in the Czech Republic mentioned in the annual report of Security Information Service from 2015 is: “Disrupting the coherence and readiness of NATO and the EU (attempts to disrupt Czech-Polish relations, disinformation and alarming rumors defaming the US and NATO, disinformation creating virtual threat of a war with Russia).“
Despite these efforts, the satisfaction of Czechs with NATO membership has been over fifty percent in the long term (acoording to CVVM surveys). In January 2018, 58% of Czechs were satisfied with the membership; on the contrary, 19% were not.
There are many questions connected with NATO and security situation. How is NATO ready to act in protecting its eastern wing? When will European countries, including the Czech Republic, meet their commitments (2% of GDP allocated for military expenditures)? What relation should NATO have with upcoming PESCO? What is the trust between European members of NATO and
Trump´s America? Are cyber threats a part of the defense and military or are they included in internal security portfolio? Can NATO be active in combating illegal migration or is migration just security and humanitarian (not defense and military) topic?
Speakers:
Jan Lipavský, Vice-chairman of the Committe on Defence, Member of the Permanent Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Chamber of Deputies, Parliament of the Czech Republic
Josef Bělica, Member of the Committee on Defence and the Committee on Security, Member of the Permanent Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Chamber of Deputies, Parliament of the Czech Republic
Kostiantyn Brozhko, Defence and Miliary Attaché, Embassy of Ukraine in the Czech Republic
Lt. Col. Ivo Zelinka, Executive Officer of Deputy Chief of General Staff, Czech Armed Forces, passed US Army Ranger School and Command and Staff College
Petr Pojman, Security Analyst, Team 4 Ukraine
Moderator:
Roman Máca, Analyst, Institute for Politics and Society
Opening speech by a Representative of the U.S. Embassy in the Czech Republic.
The debate will be held on 30th May 2018 since 17:00 in the American Center in Prague (Tržiště 13, Praha).
An event organised by the European Liberal Forum (ELF) with the assistance of the Institute for Politics and Society. Co-funded by the European Parliament. The European Parliament is not responsible for the content of the programme, or for any use that may be made of it. These views do not necessarily reflect those of the European Parliament and/or the European Liberal Forum.
