On November 5th, the Center for EU Enlargement Studies hosted Frans Timmermans, Minister for European Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Minister spoke about the challenges and prospects of a re-united Europe on the occasion of the 20 years anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall on November 9th.

Frans Timmermans began his half-hour lecture with an anecdote about his youth, in which he, driving through various parts of Europe, faced excessive border-checks on his journey. With the fall of the Berlin wall, the Minister noted, geographical demarcations between East and West have disappeared, but they are still often present in the minds of the Europeans. The memories and perceptions of Eastern Europe and Western Europe, which Timmermans referred to as „Ostalgie” and „Westalgie” should not lead to value based denominations on either side. On the contrary, the Minister emphasized, in light of the European project, it is of fundamental importance to bring different values together, develop tolerance for each other and overcome global challenges, such as climate change, aging populations, and terrorism in a joint effort. If the people of Europe act together, Timmermans closed, this could well be Europe’s century.

Following his talk, Timmermans answered questions from the audience. He restated and explained the Dutch policy vis-à-vis Serbia’s EU accession, highlighted the need for a European cooperation on climate change, and reemphasized the importance of recognizing the commonalities that bind Europe together.