Spring Meetings of the Women Network Featured Discussions with the Ambassador and Director of the Dutch Clingendael Institute
Vendula Kazlauskas
/ Ed. 1. 11. 2024
With the upcoming European Parliament elections, even those segments of the Czech public that typically show little interest in European matters are now turning their attention towards "Brussels". How can EU issues be communicated most effectively during this time? And what role does Czech diplomacy play in this context? These and other topics were explored by the members of the Women Network in foreign, European, and security policy during a discussion with the Head of the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU, Ambassador Edita Hrdá.
During the meeting on April 5, Ambassador Hrdá provided insights into the preparations for´changes in the composition of the European Parliament and the European Commission, as well as the priorities that the Czech Republic is advocating for in the strategic agenda of the EU institutions for the next five years.
The discussions on the current challenges facing the European Union continued on April 30 with a special guest – Monika Sie Dhian Ho, the Director of the Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael. Clingendael is one of Europe’s leading think tanks focused on international relations and European policy. Monika Sie Dhian Ho’s expertise includes the European Union, development cooperation, and democratic transformation and consolidation. With the members of the Network, she delved into key questions about the EU’s future – highlighting major political divides within the current EU, the thematic issues that fragment the Union, and the potential consequences for its future.
Both meetings took place at the residence of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Czech Republic, which supports the work of the AMO Women Network.
