30 YEARS OF THE V4 - Conference and Book Launch

In 2021 our region was celebrating a symbolic anniversary: 30 years ago, on 15^th February 1991, the Visegrad Group was established, which not only helped the successful transatlantic integration of the region, but also became the basis of joint, regional cooperation and an internationally known brand. The V4 countries currently make up the 5th largest economy in Europe combined and the 12th largest economy in the world. Some decision-makers already refer to the Visegrad Group as Europe's new economic engine, which could reach 80% of the EU-15 group's income level by 2030. Despite periodic setbacks in the history of the V4, the collaboration has not only successfully achieved its key objectives, but has since been able to continually expand both its role and its geopolitical relevance. “30 years of the V4” – the latest issue of Danube Institute, examines the various aspects of the cooperation over the past decades, as well as the future prospects of the V4.

Program:

9.00-9. 30 Welcoming speeches

• John O’Sullivan, President of Danube Institute
• Krisztina Varjú, Ministerial Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in charge of Hungary’s V4 presidency of 2021-22

09:30-10:15 Panel 1: Introduction of Danube Institute V4 book. Discussion with authors.

• Anton Bendarzsevszkij, Director of research at Danube Institute
• Tamás Orbán, Research Fellow at Danube Institute
• Péter Szitás PhD., Research Fellow at Danube Institute

Moderator: István Kiss, Executive Director of Danube Institute

10:15-10:30 Coffee break

10:30 – 11:45 Panel 2: Thirty years of the V4. (The past)

• Péter Dobrowiecki, Research Fellow at Mathias Corvinus Collegium, HU
• Alena Kudzko, Director of the GLOBSEC Policy Institute, SK
• Roman Joch, Publicist and political expert at Civic Institute Prague, CZ
• Tomasz Grosse, a political scientist at Warsaw Institute and European University Institute, PL 

Moderator: Nikolett Garai, Research Fellow at the Institute of Foreign Affairs and Trade (IFAT)

11:45-12:00 Coffee break

12:00-13:15 Panel 3: The future of the V4. (The future)

• Márton Ugrósdy, Director of Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trades, HU
• Juraj Marusiak, Political scientist and historian at Slovak Academy of Sciences, SK
• Jiri Lach, Professor at Department of Politics and European Studies at Palacky University Olomouc, CZ
• Piotr Bajda, Professor at the Institute of Political Sciences and Administration, Warsaw Institute and Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, PL

Moderator: Anton Bendarzsevszkij, Director of research at Danube Institute