The second Plenary Session of the Conference on the Future of Europe, which took place on 22-23 October 2021 at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, was attended online by the Director General of ELIAMEP, Professor George Pagoulatos, as the National Representative of the Citizens of Greece. Pagoulatos, who is a member of the Working Group of the Conference “The European Union in the world” (EU in the world), highlighted the importance of European autonomy strategy at both the Group meeting on the first day and the Plenary on the second. He emphasized the need for the EU to have the capacity and the tools to effectively promote its interests and values, which may diverge at times from those of its closest allies. He emphasized that Europe’s strategic autonomy strengthened the European pillar of the Euro-Atlantic Alliance, while enabling Europe to defend its interests, protect the EU’s external borders, and prevent destabilization in areas of immediate interest such as the Mediterranean.
The next Plenary Session of the Conference is scheduled for 17-18 December, while the second round of meetings of the four Groups of European Citizens will take place in November.