Global and regional events over the past three years have conspired to bring Europeans closer together. Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine since 2022 has led to European solidarity with its democratic neighbour, including allowing Ukraine to begin the road to European Union membership. Meanwhile, two European states, Sweden and Finland, finally dropped their neutrality and joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The re-election of Donald Trump in 2024 has caused chaos in the financial markets and a possible trade war, again leading to strong European responses. The US President’s ambivalence about NATO has further provoked European reactions. Defence cooperation, including with the United Kingdom, is firmly on the agenda.

This lecture will argue that decisions in Washington and Moscow have acted as catalysts for closer cooperation among European countries, precisely the opposite of the disruption they sought to achieve.

Julie Smith (Baroness Smith of Newnham) is Professor of European Politics at Cambridge University, Fellow of Robinson College, Cambridge and a member of the House of Lords, the upper chamber of the British Parliament. In the latter function she is the defence spokesperson of the Liberal Democrats. Julie’s research interests centre on the history and politics of the European Union, democracy in Europe and the UK’s relations with the EU, with particular interests in defence. Her publications include The Palgrave Handbook of the 2024 European Parliament Elections, co-editor and contributor (Palgrave, forthcoming 2025), a Special Issue of German Politics on German-Turkish-EU relations (2025), The UK’s Journeys into and out of the EU – Destinations Unknown (Routledge, 2017) and The Palgrave Handbook of European Referendums (editor and contributor Palgrave, 2021).

Please register in advance, as seating is limited. 

June 17, 2025 - 6 p.m., International House (Kringsweg 6)

This event is hosted by the Centre for Turkey and EU Studies (CETEUS), the Cologne International Forum,  the Department of Political Science, and Europa-Union Köln.