2023-2024: Conversations on Europe -Year of Security in Europe

The declaration of the European Year of Security emerged immediately out of the ESC/EUCE's concern about the war in Ukraine. Last year we began to see how the war impacts matters that reach well beyond the immediate war zone: global hunger, inflation, climate, migration, political unrest in distant countries, among others. This recognition inspired us to consider more broadly the security agenda of the EU and the specific European approaches to security. In our Conversation on Europe series we thus begin by exploring labor and labor security and move on to topics like mis/information, Africa-EU relations, Polish Elections. CoE is only one of the many ways we will be discussing security in the course of the year at the ESC/EUCE.

This year’s Conversations on Europe virtual roundtables respond to the theme of Security in Europe. Recordings of each of the sessions, as well as suggested readings and resources, are available on the Conversations on Europe webpage.

Sessions are held on Tuesdays from 12:30 -2:00 PM ET. All events will be virtual

SPRING 2024

February 13 | "Mis/disinformation Security: Protecting EU Values and Democracies" REGISTER

MODERATOR:

Erica Edwards, University of Pittsburgh

PANELISTS:

Ralitsa Kovacheva, Sofia University

Julia Partheymüller, University of Vienna

Elena Bruni, LUISS Guido Carli, Italy, Fulbright Distinguished Lecturer/University of Pittsburgh

Not to be confused with misinformation, meaning inaccurate information, disinformation is false material meant to intentionally mislead or misinform individuals. Brought to the fore in 2016 with Brexit and the election of Donald Trump, disinformation threatens to erode trust in democratic systems, weaken individual freedoms, and increasingly undermine governments around the world. While the U.S. has yet to make meaningful progress in addressing disinformation, Europe has moved forward with new legislation and initiatives. Join us for this session of Conversation on Europe in which we ask what steps Europe is taking to shore up EU values and counter disinformation.

March 12 | "The Russian War in Ukraine: Displaced People and Changing Security Concerns" REGISTER

MODERATOR: Randall Halle, University of Pittsburgh

PANELISTS:

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine transformed European security concerns dramatically. It has disrupted the lives of countless people in the region. It triggered a new wave of rapid forced migration throughout the EU and in other neighboring countries. Displacement from the war impacts not only Ukrainian women and children fleeing to Poland, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, and other neighboring countries. It has also affected Russians avoiding mobilization or Russian intellectuals avoiding repressions in their home country. Unfortunately, at a time of record numbers of internal and external displaced persons worldwide, numbers of people seeking asylum have now risen in Central Asia and Caucasus. In addition to considering the overall security situation resulting from the war, this Conversation on Europe will ask: how do these movements of people affect the current situation in the EU and in receiving countries? How have societies and state apparatuses reacted to this migration and what can we learn from these dynamics? What role does “security” and securitization play in these processes?

April 9 | "Elections 2024: European Parliament Elections across the 27 Member States” REGISTER

MODERATORS:

Jae-Jae Spoon, University of Pittsburgh

Zeynep Somer-Topcu, The University of Texas at Austin

PANELISTS:

Kai Arzheimer, University of Mainz

Catherine DeVries, Bocconi University
Jan Rovny, Sciences Po-Paris

During this session of our Conversations on Europe, we will focus our discussion on the ongoing election campaign to the European Parliament, as the elections will take place between June 6th and 9th. With looming economic slowdown, increasing migration both on the southern and eastern border of the EU and growing support for populist and nationalist parties, what are the prospects for the EU integration? What are the main topics of the campaign and how will they impact the elections? Which parties will gain a majority in the upcoming 5 years term and shape the future of the EU?

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