Osher Summer Lecture Series: Brexit/European Union

August 3: Brexit/European Union Over the last decade, the West has experienced an array of both internal and external pressures that threaten the strength of transatlantic unity. Europe has felt these forces most acutely, and the continent has had difficulty presenting a united front in the face of numerous threats. From a revanchist Russia to a historic wave of mass migration alongside a financial crisis that brought the Eurozone to the brink of collapse, the past five years have not been easy ones for Europe. Simultaneously, a toxic brand of populism is on the rise throughout the continent, and has created a climate ripe for the support of far-right parties. The rise of European populism was also one of the driving forces behind last year's shocking vote by the United Kingdom to leave the 28-nation European Union. Although Brexit negotiations are now underway, it is much more than just the relationship between the U.K. and E.U. at stake; Rather, the future of the liberal world order may hang in the balance. Julie Smith Former Acting National Security Advisor to Vice President Biden, currently Director at the Center for New American Security Julianne "Julie" Smith is Senior Fellow and Director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. Ms. Smith comes to CNAS while serving as a Senior Vice President at Beacon Global Strategies LLC. Prior to joining Beacon, she served as the Deputy National Security Advisor to Vice President Joe Biden from April 2012 to June 2013. During March and April of 2013, she served as the Acting National Security Advisor to Vice President Biden. Prior to her posting at the White House, she served as the Principal Director for European and NATO Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense in the Pentagon.