UNAIR NEWS – UNAIR held a public lecture on Friday, May 19, 2023, at the Aula Majapahit ASEEC Tower UNAIR. The public lecture entitled “Future Challenges of the EU” presented the Ambassador of the European Union to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam, H.E. Vincent Piket.
United in differences
The dynamics of the European Union have always been an interesting subject to discuss. An area that covers approximately 4 million km2 with a population of around 447 million cannot be separated from geopolitical challenges. Therefore, this guest lecture aims to be an open discussion between European Union representatives and UNAIR students and lecturers.
“The European Union has the motto ‘united in diversity’ or united in differences. Furthermore, the European Union is an organization that exists as a single wide market in the European region so that the mobilization of people, goods, services, and capital can flow between its members,” explained Vincent.
The European Union won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 for its contribution to peace and reconciliation. However, the region, which accounts for one-sixth of the global economy, cannot be separated from various challenges that will affect the dynamics of the European Union in the future.
Future challenges
In summary, the European Union is facing six challenges which consist of (1) economic recovery, (2) migration and asylum, (3) climate change and green transition, (4) digital transformation, (5) demographic change and aging population, and (6) institutional reform and policy making.
“The war between Russia and Ukraine had an enormous economic impact. One of them was when Russia stopped supplying energy to European countries, causing an energy crisis in Europe,” said Vincent.
The affluent European Union region is a major destination for immigrants from the region around Europe. It poses a problem because EU countries have to provide resources for them. This continuous migration certainly has a significant impact on the European Union.
“Besides economic and migration issues, we (the European Union, ed) are also facing the climate crisis. The cause of the climate crisis comes from carbon emissions from industry and motor vehicles. Therefore, we are also committed to creating zero net emissions in 2050,” stated Vincent.
The European Union is also facing challenges of digital transformation, an aging population, and institutional reform issues. These three things are overcome by making pro-technology policies and investing in the digital services market.
Vincent also explained the other European Union’s challenge in the future, the Schengen zone problem. “In short, the Schengen zone is where tourists do not need to apply for a new visa when crossing the borders of countries in the Schengen zone. For example, if you have a visit visa to France, you can also use that visa to visit Spain,” said Vincent.
The challenges of the Schengen Zone include controlling migration and preventing illegal activities involving national borders, such as human trafficking and illegal goods. “Therefore, we will continue to update security policies and adopt new systems to monitor migration flows,” concluded Vincent.
The lecture session was then continued with a question and answer session between lecturers and students and the European Union ambassador. The participants enthusiastically asked about future European Union policies, such as policies related to technology and the energy transition.
Author: Adil Salvino Muslim
Editor: Nuri Hermawan
Read also: UNAIR psychologist shapes Indonesian national team players’ mental wellness
