Panels


Closing Conference ''Debating Europe: exchanges on the EU democracy gap''

19-20 September, 2024

The closing conference of the Jean Monnet Network "Debating Europe" (DebatEU) will present the Network’s findings, generated through debates aimed at enhancing understanding of the EU. The project focused on why many are critical or distanced from the EU, addressing the gap between EU elites and citizens. Discussions with EU studies students from 10 countries revealed both positive attitudes and thoughtful critiques of the EU’s complexity, lack of transparency, and failure to fully meet its ideals. Notably, participants from peripheral EU countries were more aware of their limited influence within the EU. The focus group participants expressed ambivalence towards the current opportunities for politicizing EU issues, with high expectations for the EU’s international role but uncertainty about how to contribute. Overall, the findings show that future EU elites are critical citizens with great expectations but limited means of achieving them.

We view the politicization of the EU as essential to fostering a more participatory and lived democracy. The conference will feature exchanges between academics, young researchers, students, civil society activists, EU and national practitioners, and politicians.

ECPR Conference September 4-8, 2023

DebatEU participated in a panel at the ECPR General Conference: "Citizens, Democracy, Europe"

Chairs: Niilo Kauppi, Claudia Wiesner, Meta Novak

 

Igor Vidačak / Ana Matan, Zagreb University

Claudia Wiesner, University of Applied Sciences Fulda

Meta Novak, Dajan Lajh, University of Ljubljana

Niilo Kauppi / Kim Zilliakus, Helsinki University

Ruzha Silova, Kaloyan Velchev, Center for Liberal Strategies, Sofia

 

Find out more about the panel at the ECPR GC here

 

The CES 2024 Lyon Conference

The Jean Monnet Network Debating Europe is set to participate in the CES 2024 conference in Lyon, where it will engage in discussions on European integration and policy-making. This involvement underscores the Network's commitment to fostering academic dialogue and promoting a deeper understanding of European affairs among scholars and practitioners. For more information click the link here.

ECPR Conference August 12-15, 2024

Despite the activities of the EU and national institutions as well as intermediate institutions and actors, research as well as opinion surveys diagnose a gap between what has been termed "EU elites" and EU citizens. The EU has a legitimacy problem, support rates have been decreasing during the peak of the financial crisis and despite the economic situation improving, votes for populist, extremist, anti-EU and anti-democrat parties and movements are on the rise throughout the EU. At the same time, the Europeanisation of politics and decision making continues to impact and transform the national democratic systems of the member states.

The panel focuses on theoretical and conceptual aspects as well as empirical results of student views on EU democracy and EU politicization, and in particular this gap between the EU and its citizens. Discussing with EU Studies students means to discuss with a group of citizens that is relatively well informed about the EU and, as according to quantitative findings, supposedly Europhile. This choice allows to diagnose the problem of the EU as they are seen by a social group who is supposed to be a pro-EU avant-garde, and hence consists of key actors for EU development.

For more information click the link here.


ECPR Conference August 22 - August 26, 2022

DebatEU organised a panel at the ECPR General Conference: "Citizens, politicisation and democracy in the EU"

Chair: Claudia Wiesner, Fulda University of Applied Sciences; Ana Matan, University of Zagreb

 

Niilo Kauppi / Kim Ziliacus, Helsinki University

Igor Vidačak / Ana Matan, Zagreb University

Claudia Wiesner, University of Applied Sciences Fulda

Meta Novak, Damjan Lajh, University of Ljubljana

Willy Beauvallet, Université Lyon II; Cecile Robert, Sciences Po Lyon

 

Find out more about the section at the ECPR GC here

ECPR Conference August 30 - September 3, 2021

DebatEU participated in a panel at the ECPR General Conference:

“Representing the citizens in the European Union”

Chair: Taru Haapala, Autonomous University of Madrid

 

Niilo Kauppi / Kim Zilliakus, Helsinki University

Claudia Wiesner, Fulda University of Applied Sciences

Cecile Robert / Willy Beauvallet, Sciences Po Lyon

Meta Novak, University of Ljubljana

 

Find out more about the section at the ECPR GC here