April 11-13th, 2018, a group of EU experts - Mykolas Romeris University academics, visited Brussels. The visit was organized by the European Commission Representation Office in Vilnius.

MRU Communication Institute Head Assoc. Prof. Virgis Valentinavičius, Law Faculty Prof. Regina Valutytė, Public Administration Institute Prof. Saulius Nefas, Humanities Institute Assoc. Prof. Povilas Aleksandravičius, and Political Science Institute Assoc. Prof. Vytatutas Dumbliauskas were part of the delegation.

The withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU, the precarious security situation, the growing danger of U.S. isolationism and further challenges Europe is confronted with were discussed in depth during the visit.

Assoc. Prof. Valentinavičius, believes that organizers of the visit succeeded in engaging high-placed quality speakers from the European Commission, including Telmo Baltazar, a member of the Cabinet of EC President Jean-Claude Juncker; Stefaan De Rynck, Head of Communication of the Brexit Negotiation Task Force, led by Michel Barnier; and Jesús Carmona Nunez, Head of the Citizens’ Policies Unit.

The speakers were frank enough to admit that Brexit and U.S. President Donald Trump’s yearning for isolationism are causing considerable anxiety. At the same time, the current EU predicament is seen as a window of opportunity: quite surprisingly, Europe finds herself more united when the EU is going through the trauma of losing an important member.

Equally unexpectedly, the Trump factor has nearly finished off a populist anti-American sentiment once abundant in Brussels, as Mr. Trump’s isolationism scares Europeans into pondering what will be left of EU wellbeing and security, if America abandons Euro-Atlantic ties.

The EU expert group also met major Lithuanian officials in Brussels including. Vytenis Andriukaitis, Health and Food Safety Commissioner; Jovita Neliubšienė, Lithuanian Ambassador to the EU; and Kęstutis Sadauskas, Director for Circular Economy and Green Growth Unit.