During the 18th Kongress Obywatelski, the question of what path the EU shall take to ensure strength and resilience was discussed from different points of view. According to Eugeniusz Smolar, in light of the war in Ukraine and in a time when fast reactions are required, not all members of the European Union prove willing to abandon the road of pursuing national interests in favour of working on decisions that would concern and benefit the European Union as a whole.
What is more, Smolar underlines on several occaisons that it is crucial right now to prioritise and deepen the cooperation among union members as well as strengthen the transatlantic alliance (NATO). Maximising national opportunities has to move to the bottom of domestic political agendas for the time being.
![“While the European Union, on the one hand, has to react to structural changes from an international perspective, not only to the Chinese-American conflict, on the other hand, the ambition to play an autonomous and sovereign role prevails, not only in trade policy but also in international relations” – said Eugeniusz Smolar, expert at the CIR, at the 18th Kongres Obywatelski [23.11.2022]](https://csm.org.pl/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/experss-Biedrzyckiej-300x250.jpg)
![“While the European Union, on the one hand, has to react to structural changes from an international perspective, not only to the Chinese-American conflict, on the other hand, the ambition to play an autonomous and sovereign role prevails, not only in trade policy but also in international relations” – said Eugeniusz Smolar, expert at the CIR, at the 18th Kongres Obywatelski [23.11.2022]](https://csm.org.pl/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Eugeniusz-Smolar-990x707-1-300x214.jpg)