President Ilves and EC Vice-President Timmermans to debate at Tallinn University
Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and the First Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, will hold a public debate on the subject "Europe today" on February 3, at the Tallinn University's Auditorium Maximum lecture theatre.
The open conversation between the President and the new right-hand man of the President of the European Commission will focus on the EU's relations with Russia and growing instability in North Africa and the Middle East. Ilves and Timmermans will discuss how to strengthen the unity of the European Union in a situation, where in addition to foreign policy issues, Europe is facing growing problems with intolerance and extremism.
"The members of the European Union have never before been so reliant on one another - not only economically and financially, but also politically, culturally, socially," says the First Vice-President Timmermans. "At the same time, it is not easy to say what this brings to today's Europe. What do the citizens expect from their government and the institutions of the European Union?"
Before being nominated as the First Vice-President of the European Commission and the European Commissioner for the portfolio of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, Rule of Law and Charter of Fundamental Rights in the Juncker Commission in 2014, Timmermans served as the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The debate will start at 14:00 on February 3, in the University's Astra building. It will be moderated by member of the board of the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute, Andres Kasekamp.
People who wish to attend the event should register no later than on Thursday, January 29.
The debate is organized by European Commission representation in Estonia and the Tallinn University Institute of Political Science and Governance.
Editor: M. Oll, S. Tambur