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Last Monday, MCC hosted a high-level roundtable in Budapest examining the geopolitical and security implications of the crisis in Venezuela. The event was jointly organized by Mandiner, and the Christian Democratic Institute, and brought together policymakers and experts to assess whether recent developments could mark a turning point for the country and the wider international order.
The discussion featured Zoltán Szalai, Director General of MCC, Zsolt Németh, Chair of the Hungarian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and Alejandro Peña Esclusa, Former Venezuelan Presidential Candidate and Senior Fellow at the Center for Fundamental Rights. The roundtable was moderated by Rodrigo Ballester, Head of the Center for European Studies at MCC.
Speakers agreed that the Venezuelan case must be understood within a broader transformation of the global order, characterized by the return of power politics and interest-based decision-making. Zoltán Szalai emphasized that major powers are increasingly organizing spheres of influence, a reality that smaller states must recognize and navigate pragmatically. Zsolt Németh added that while international norms have weakened, moral considerations are re-entering security policy, arguing that change in Venezuela could offer hope to other regions under authoritarian rule.
Alejandro Peña Esclusa provided an in-depth overview of Venezuela’s internal dynamics, describing the regime as a criminalized system sustained by organized crime, foreign intelligence support, and transnational networks. He cautioned that any democratic transition would require first dismantling these structures, as elections alone would not be sufficient under current conditions.
The roundtable also addressed the differing approaches of the United States and the European Union. The discussion concluded that developments in Venezuela could have lasting implications for transatlantic relations and global security, underlining the importance of active engagement rather than passive observation in an increasingly volatile international environment.
