Flexible ‘EU-centricness’ is the key ingredient to ensure the European Political Community’s success

The European Political Community (EPC) – the new platform that unites all 27 EU Member States and 17 non-EU European countries – met for the first time on 6 October in Prague. The initiative is a response to the desire to create a united front against Russian aggression.But the invasion was not the only reason for the EPC’s creation. The EU’s strategic thinking about its neighbourhood and the continent has shifted – for securing energy, for fighting against climate change and repelling cyber-attacks, the EU has no choice but to look beyond its borders. After years of deadlock over enlargement, Brexit and various failures in the neighbourhood policy, it was about time that the EU went the extra mile to improve coordination between the EU and non-EU European countries and work to create a true continental space. At their heart, French President Emmanuel Macron’s ‘European Political Community’ and European Council President Charles Michel’s ‘European Geopolitical Community’, desire the same thing: to improve foreign and security cooperation on the continent.