The European Union is caught between Scylla and Charybdis: any move away from one of the two monsters means moving closer to the other, with the consequent increase in risk. It is impossible to cross with complete safety.

In this conversation with journalist Marta García Aller, Rafael Grasa, professor of International Relations at the UAB and researcher at CIDOB, will present the recent geopolitical changes and then review the vulnerabilities facing the European Union: the strategic vulnerability resulting from a European enlargement process that has not deepened decision-making, and which has been increased by the decline in social cohesion; the dependence on the US and NATO in security matters and the external dependence in energy and strategic materials. 

With this vulnerability map in hand, the conversation will revolve around the European Commission's recent rearmament proposal, based primarily on national spending, with particular attention to the defense industry in Europe and specifically in the case of Spain. Beyond simply opposing war and expressing fears that rearmament will lead to cuts in social spending, the aim is to present a hybrid proposal that addresses the risks and inconsistencies of the Commission's proposal.