On the 28th of March 2023, the Embassy in Zagreb hosted an event together with the Irish Embassy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Croatia, as well as the diplomatic academy in Zagreb. The event, located at the beautiful Illyrian Hall in Zagreb, in its two panel discussions, focused on the transformative power of the EU. It was a good occasion for looking back at the last 50 years of Irish and Danish membership but also the past 10 years of Croatia´s EU tenure, not alone to look into the future. The event gathered people from the diplomatic corps, the Croatian government and faculties from the University of Zagreb.
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The Embassy had the privilege to invite and host the State Secretary for European Affairs and the Arctic, Carsten Grønbech-Jensen, and the former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Denmark to the EU, Poul Skytte Christoffersen, to participate in the two panels, providing Danish insights.
The first panel discussion shed light on the application process for the three countries, as well as the considerable impact the EU still has for the countries. The panel consisted of four panelists who were central to the negotiation process in 1973 and 2013. Poul Skytte Christoffersen, participated from the Danish side, and provided valuable insights not only on the Danish way into the EU, but also on the EU enlargement of 10 countries in 2004, where Poul played a key role in the negotiations of the Copenhagen-Summit.
The panel continued with a discussion on what the EU and applicant countries should be aware of, when considering further expansion of the EU. The panel agreed that the EU has to set up clear goals that the country should meet, and not change it. The applicant country has to do their part, making the necessary changes to meet the demands from the EU.
The second panel looked at the future and what it will bring for the EU for each member state. Carsten Grønbech-Jensen, participated in this debate, emphasizing the need for the EU to adapt to the new geo-political situation in the world. He pointed out how the reaction of member states to crises within the EU has changed, so countries, unlike the debt crisis, handle challenges together. He also emphasized that the EU should take a more active approach and become better at exercising political influence in a world marked by new geopolitical circumstances.
