Dr. Bernard Bot opens the Academic Year

Dr Bernard Bot (Director of the Netherlands Institute of International relations and former Foreign Minister) opened the academic year by conducting the first of the annual series of European Seminars. This academic year the seminars are being held in cooperation with the Campus Den Haag and the Montesquieu Institute and, for the first time, are located in more modern facilities available there. Over eighty people were there to hear the lecture.

Dr. Bot’s lecture was entitled “The Future of the European Union (EU) and its further Expansion“. His main argument was that it is necessary to deepen the EU in order to enlarge it. The irst step would be to ratify the Lisbon treaty and to create a more stable collaboration within the EU. After that, the EU could decide whether the Europe is mainly a geographical definition or whether it was possible to expand beyond these limits. Finally, he addressed the prospects for European foreign policy  in the future.

Even though Dr. Bot viewed EU enlargement in positive terms, he considered that it should not happen too quickly. First, prior to further enlargement the EU, should be deepened and the internal processes should also be strengthened. At the same time there was an urgent need for more intensive collaboration in order to try to help potential new member states countries by means of the adaptation process. Furthermore, the European Union should seriously consider a future where it could be able to cross the geographical definition of  Europe and be open to further enlargement. At the same time, however, it should  offer a safe and comfortable home for all it’s citizens.

The seminar was followed by a lively debate and the discussions spilled over into the reception that followed, where Dr. Bot remained to talk to groups of students.

Dr. Bernard Bot is Director of the Netherlands Institute of International Relations, Clingendael. He has a long and distinguished career in the Dutch foreign service. He was Dutch foreign minister from 2003 to 2007 and before that he was, for ten years, the Netherlands’ Permanent Representative to the European Union (a post he also held from 1964-1970).