On November 13, 2024, Strategeo Institute and the Prague Delegation to the EU and Prague’s hosted a lively debate to mark the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain. The discussion focused on the big questions and impacts of this historic turning point in Europe and beyond.
The panel featured prominent speakers, including:
- Karel Kovanda – former Czech Ambassador to NATO
- Alexandr Vondra – Member of the European Parliament
- Jiří Šedivý – Director of the European Defence Agency
- Tony Barber – European Affairs Commentator at The Financial Times
The debate was moderated by Jan Macháček, President of Strategeo Institute.
The speakers explored what led to the fall of the Iron Curtain, why it happened so quickly, and why it was mostly peaceful. They also questioned whether it was right to call it the "end of history" and envision a bright future of liberal democracy and a market economy. The conversation touched on challenges facing former communist countries today – market economies are still strong, but authoritarianism and political divides are on the rise. All this in the context of the current developments after the US presidential elections.
The event drew a full house at Prague House in Brussels, showing that this anniversary still resonates today.
