João Vale de Almeida, who was the first EU Ambassador to the UK after Brexit, to deliver keynote at the Bennett School of Public Policy Annual Conference on 26 March 2026, Cambridge
The Bennett School of Public Policy will welcome distinguished European diplomat João Vale de Almeida as keynote speaker at its Annual Conference on Thursday 26 March, at Churchill College, Cambridge. The session will be chaired by Suzanne Raine, who served for 24 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on foreign policy and national security issues, and is now Master of Selwyn College, Cambridge.
Drawing on his recently published book, The Divorce of Nations – A Diplomat’s Inside View as the Global Order Collapses, João Vale de Almeida will reflect on how today’s geopolitical and geoeconomic turbulence is reshaping public policy at the national level. He will explore how major global shocks — from the attacks of 9/11 to the invasion of Ukraine and the war in the Gulf — have transformed the international order and constrained domestic and foreign policy choices across the West.
In his keynote, starting at 17:15, the former EU Ambassador will revisit pivotal events and leaders of the early 21st century, including Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, George W. Bush, Tony Blair, Angela Merkel, Boris Johnson, Emmanuel Macron and Xi Jinping — who have shaped, or continue to shape, the global landscape.
Reflecting on his own diplomatic experience — including senior roles at the European Commission and external service in Brussels and as EU Ambassador to the United States, the United Nations and the United Kingdom — he will frame his lecture around two simultaneous and interconnected “divorces”:
- The divorce among nations, marked by the gradual deconstruction of the post-Second World War and post-Cold War international order
- The divorce within nations, reflected in the rise of populism, fragmentation and political polarisation across democratic societies.
He will argue that these twin fractures are deeply intertwined, cross-pollinating within a context of globalisation under pressure from protectionism, technological rivalry and intensifying competition for trade leadership. Together, they significantly constrain policy options on both domestic and international fronts.
A central focus of the lecture will be Brexit — which João characterises as “the mother of all divorces” — encapsulating many of the divergence and fragmentation dynamics that have defined the century to date. He will also assess the European Union’s efforts to “swim against the tide” through regional multilateralism, while acknowledging the existential challenges it now faces amid pressure from Russia, the United States and China.
“We are delighted to welcome João Vale de Almeida to the Bennett School’s Annual Conference to address some of the most pressing geopolitical questions of our time. Drawing on his remarkable diplomatic career, and his reflections in his recent book, The Divorce of Nations, João brings a rare insider perspective on the forces reshaping the global order. With the discussion chaired by Suzanne Raine — herself experienced in foreign policy and national security issues — the conversation will illuminate and explore the breaking apart of the rules-based international order,” said Professor Michael Kenny, Head of the Bennett School of Public Policy.
Looking ahead, João will offer perspectives on future prospects for global governance and public policy, with particular emphasis on the West, the European Union, the United Kingdom and the future of transatlantic relations. His keynote will explore what political and geopolitical paradigm might emerge to guide the remainder of the 21st century in line with shared values and strategic interests.
The Bennett School of Public Policy Annual Conference brings together policymakers, academics and practitioners to examine the evolving challenges facing public policy in a rapidly changing world.
The keynote will take place on Thursday 26 March 2026, from 17:15 to 18:15 at Churchill College, Cambridge, and online. Booking is essential.
Image: João Vale de Almeida, Former Ambassador of the European Union to the United Kingdom, Wikipedia
The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy.
