The STRATEGEO Institute, in cooperation with Anglo-American University (AAU), held a meeting of the Strategic Club yesterday,
2. December 2025. This exclusive discussion platform brings together leading figures from business, public administration, academia, and public life. The topic of this session was a fundamental and timely question: “What Is the West Today?”
The Strategic Club is a joint initiative of the STRATEGEO Institute and Anglo-American University. Its aim is to provide an informal, cultivated environment for open exchange of views on key social and political issues. The closed, invitation-only format enables deeper and more nuanced discussion than typically possible in the public arena.
Western Values in Transformation
For decades, the concept of “the West” has been associated with constitutional order, the rule of law, democracy with strong institutional safeguards, a market economy, prosperity, freedom of speech, human rights, and basic civic decency. Participants discussed to what extent these values remain stable and shared, and to what extent they are coming under pressure from shifting political and societal dynamics.
Attention was also devoted to the growing influence of authoritarian, nationalist, and populist movements, which increasingly affect not only countries outside the West but also established Western democracies. The debate touched on rising societal polarization and the challenges it poses to free and pluralistic exchange of ideas.
Opening Remarks and Panel Discussion
The event was opened by Jan Macháček, President of the STRATEGEO Institute, and Jiří Schwarz, Rector of Anglo-American University. The panel discussion featured:
- Roman Joch
- Zbyněk Petráček
- Jan Kuklík
The meeting took place in the library of Anglo-American University on Letenská Street in Prague 1, providing an intimate and inspiring setting for open dialogue.
