War and politics

How does the threat of violent conflict shape domestic politics in Europe?

Members event, Panel Recording
26 May 2022 — 6:00PM TO 7:00PM
Chatham House and Online

War and politics

— How does the threat of violent conflict shape domestic politics in Europe?

The European response to the war in Ukraine has been resolute. The NATO alliance and the European Union (EU) have come together to protect their member states, impose sweeping sanctions on Russia and provide security assistance to Ukraine.

They have also embraced the radical challenge of weaning Europe from its dependence on Russian energy resources, pushing back against efforts by third parties to help Russia evade sanctions or secure military assistance, and accepting the necessity to transform Europe from a ‘normative power’ to something altogether more muscular in traditional security terms.

The political impact of this effort on Europe remains uncertain. The newfound solidarity does not seem to have eliminated all tensions between the EU and the British government, for example.

Neither has it put an end to the EU’s divisive ‘rule of law’ debate. Right-wing extremist parties do not seem to be affected by their prior links to Vladimir Putin. On the contrary, Marine Le Pen managed to improve her performance in the second round of the French presidential elections and Matteo Salvini remains strong in Italy.

A panel of experts considers the impact of war on European politics:

  • Has the war resulted in a shift to the right in European politics?

  • Is there a renewed political will among EU countries to strengthen the EU’s defence role?

  • How can the EU and the British government work together to manage the security implications of the war?

This event is part of Chatham House’s ongoing work on the future of conflict. This event will be followed by a reception.

As with all Chatham House member events, questions from members drive the conversation.

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