What the Shape of Europe is according to
Zuzana Vikarská
– Aspen Young Leaders

Zuzana Vikarská

Assistant Professor, Masaryk University
Aspen Young Leaders Program Alumna

All the best in the 2020s, dear Central Europe!

Have you ever tried identifying the central theme of a given decade? Think of the 1920s, the 1970s, the 1990s… would we mostly agree on a single issue or topic that shaped the given decade in a certain region? (I think we would!)

The previous decade brought us into Europe and gave us an equal standing next to confident nations such as France or Germany. We joined the club of countries with a clear pro-western orientation. We promised a number of things to our political partners, most importantly respect for human rights and adherence to rule of law. In exchange, we received full access to the internal market and an equal seat at the negotiation table – a much stronger position than we deserve. Most importantly, we became partners in a project with noble goals: peace, prosperity and a solid standard of life for everyone.

This year we have celebrated 15 years of our membership in the European Union. Looking back at the 2010s, the first fully European decade in our modern history, what has it been like?

Going through crises has become our daily bread – maybe even the central topic of our present decade. The financial crisis, migration crisis, rule of law crisis, the never-ending Brexit crisis, as well as crises brought about by technological progress. We can no longer rely on our privacy, we no longer know where to look for the truth. These developments have inevitably shaped our world and our region. So, where do we stand?

Quite often we stand in the streets, in fact. Elections are no longer enough, we want to be heard more often, we feel the duty to express ourselves and exercise our political rights. This has become a trend of the past years. And while it points to the very poor state of our public institutions, often rotten and corrupt, it also shows a positive phenomenon: that we care, that we read, discuss and participate. Our young democracies have come of age and for us, this has been a decade of political emancipation and of people returning home and slowing down the brain drain in our region.

If I could formulate a wish for the next decade, I would wish for our countries to grow more mature in their governance – both in their national matters and on the international field. We can do better in both directions: communicating European values at home, as well as defending our national interests in Europe. We have a lot to learn and I truly hope that the 2020s will one day be remembered as a decade of political stabilization and responsible governance.

The text was created on the occasion of the Aspen Annual Conference “The Shape of Central Europe 2019”. Short Aspen Young Leaders’ insights on the current situation in Central Europe were published in the conference book.