AMSTERDAM POLICY PRIZE - APP 2024

The theme of the Amsterdam Policy Prize 2024 is ‘A look toward the East’.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was not only an unlawful bid to subordinate a sovereign nation, but also a calculated attempt at undermining the established framework of democratic security in Europe. The ensuing conflict continues to present a myriad of challenges to the European Union, caught in its midst as a steadfast regional supporter of Ukraine amidst the ongoing war. 

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Firstly, the invasion by Russia has prompted European leaders to reflect on their reliance on the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as the cornerstone of European security architecture. Moreover, the 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump has recently rejected the idea of coming to Europe’s aid, in case of an attack. However, this predicament is two-fold: while the imperative for heightened security becomes increasingly evident, the financial capacity of member states to invest in defence is constrained, given that resources are being redirected toward supporting Ukraine.

Secondly, the European Union was faced with the consequences of their reliance on cheap Russian gas, in a congruent attempt to boycott the authoritarian states, forcing an energy supply chain rearrangement. The subsequent rise in energy prices caused varying levels of backlash against national governments from EU citizens. 

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Finally, Ukraine’s now much more pressing ambitions to distance itself as far as possible from Russian influence culminated in the nearly universally commended EU accession plan. However, Ukraine is also by no means the only country whose ambitions for membership increased since the start of the war. Georgia and Moldova both submitted their membership applications days after the Russian invasion, while Bosnia and Herzegovina received candidate statuses that same year. Even so, the majority of these nations, with the war damaged Ukraine in the forefront, will require the investment of substantial amounts of money in EU development funds. On top of that, the European Union’s current issue with accommodating far right/EU sceptical member states, such as the countries of the Visegrád Four, stands to become more prominent as more conservative states gain voting power in the Union’s institutions. The EU is thus faced with a dilemma: expansion or reform?

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Participants of the APP 2024 were able to choose between two track options to use as the base in their policy proposals, in order to provide them with the freedom to pursue what they believed was the best policy route for the EU. The first track regarded "EU sccession expansion and reform" and the second "EU-Russia relations in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine".