In her address to the IIEA, Dr Sabine Weyand presents how geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges are affecting international trade, and their implications for the EU’s trade policy. Furthermore, Dr Weyand assesses the role that trade plays in strengthening competitiveness of EU businesses and advancing the EU’s economic security interests, while s…

As the United States faces into a number of consequential elections including the Presidential Election in 2024, along with elections to Congress as well as several gubernatorial elections, the shape of the political landscape in the United States both during the election campaigns and after the political dust has settled will be highly significant…

In her speech, Andreja Metelko-Zgombić, State Secretary for Europe in the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, focuses on Croatia’s perspective on the forthcoming EU enlargement process, the institutional changes required to prepare the EU for enlargement, and the range of reforms to be implemented by the Western Bal…

The EU has recently been placing greater weight on economic security as a distinct policy objective. How does this differ from past attempts to increase resilience and prevent crises? There is also a widespread view that increasing economic security should take the form of “de-risking” that preserves trade integrations as much as possible. But how …

According to Denis Staunton, a troubled economy at home and rising trade tensions abroad has seen China drop its aggressive Wolf Warrior diplomacy in favour of dialogue with the United States and a charm offensive towards the European Union. But can Beijing rescue the domestic economy from deflationary pressures without provoking a trade war over t…

This discussion at the IIEA touches on issues such as the ongoing update of the national energy and climate plans (NECPs), the Commission’s analysis and recommendation for the EU’s 2040 emissions reduction target, published on 6 February, and the first-ever European Climate Risk Assessment published on 11 March.The event takes place as part of the …

In this address to the IIEA, Nicolai von Ondarza, Head of the EU/Europe Research Division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), and Pervenche Berès, Board Member of Fondation Jean Jaurès, and former Member of the European Parliament for France (1994-2019), discusses the recently published Report of the Franco-German …

Professor Larry M. Bartels discusses his new book Democracy Erodes from the Top: Leaders, Citizens and the Challenge of Populism in Europe. Professor Bartels challenges the narrative of a populist “wave” in contemporary European public opinion. He argues that electoral support for right-wing populist parties has increased only modestly, driven by p…

In her address, Renate Schroeder, Director of the European Federation of Journalists, discusses developments in media freedom and pluralism over Europe in recent years, including some examples of unprecedented attacks against media freedom and pluralism that threaten democracy. She assesses the lessons that can be learnt by the media sector, civil …

According to Dr Dunkelberg, the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has long been premised from the perspective of Israel as the established state and Palestine as the non-state entity. In this keynote, he discusses a different possible reading of international legal history. A reading which revisits the traditional histories of Mandatory P…

According to Casey Michel, for years, Western foreign lobbyists have worked as foot-soldiers for the most authoritarian regimes around the planet. In the U.S. alone, the foreign lobbying industry is now worth billions of dollars. And it's no longer just PR shops or traditional lobbying shops. Instead, the industry now encompasses former officials, …

'The multiple implications of population decline and aging'Claus Vistesen, Chief Eurozone Economist for Pantheon Macroeconomics, in conversation with Dan O’Brien, IIEA Chief Economist.By IIEA

The Digital Markets Act (DMA) aims to make digital markets fairer and more contestable, and to provide new opportunities for startups and investors in the EU. Eoghan O’Neill, Senior Policy Officer in the Platforms Policy and Enforcement Directorate of the European Commission presents the new DMA obligations for the world’s largest digital platforms…

Ireland has over recent years become an increasingly important international financial centre. Trillions of euros of assets from overseas are either administered or domiciled in Ireland, often using complex financial structures involving multiple jurisdictions. Yet while successive Irish governments have been keen to reap the benefits of this ever …

On 13 January 2024, Taiwanese voters went to the polls and elected Lai Ching-Te of the Democratic Progressive Party. Amongst the key points of contention in this election was Taiwan’s future relations with China and how to navigate an increasingly contested geopolitical environment. This expert panel reflects on Taiwan’s election and explores the p…

Traditionally, in the UK, women have been more likely than men to vote Conservative, whilst men have been more likely than women to vote Labour. Yet in recent general elections, this gender gap in voting behaviour has reversed, with women now leaning to the left of men in their vote choice. As the gender gap has shifted, parties have increasingly r…

The 1949 Statute of the Council of Europe requires Member States to accept the principles of the rule of law and of the enjoyment by all persons within its jurisdiction of human rights and fundamental freedoms, on pain, in cases of serious violations, of expulsion. One of the principal means for achieving greater unity and safeguarding the signator…

'War in Europe: how threatened are Russia’s neighbours?'With full-scale war in Europe now into its third year, the continent’s security environment has been transformed since February 24, 2022. This is most obviously the case for the primary victim of Russia’s aggression – Ukraine – but also for many of its near neighbours. In this edition of IIEA …

The European Union is often depicted as a cradle of judicial activism and a polity built by courts. In a keynote address based on his award-winning book, The Ghostwriters, Dr Tommaso Pavone shows how this judge-centric narrative conceals a crucial arena for political action. He argues that, beneath the radar, European integration unfolded as a stru…

In his address to the IIEA, F. Gregory Gause III discusses how while the Gaza War has its own unique history and immediate causes, it is also representative of a broader crisis in the Middle East. This crisis has its roots in the weakening of state authority in the Arab world. He also discusses how state collapse has empowered non-state actors to c…

In this IIEA event, which has been organised to mark International Women's Day, an expert panel shares their perspectives on the recently agreed EU Directive to combat Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence. The panel discusses the various measures contained within the Directive and assesses whether the Directive goes far enough in placing en…

Professor Anu Bradford discuss her new book, Digital Empires: The Global Battle to Regulate Technology, which analyses the struggle between the US, China, and the EU in shaping the realm of digital technologies and in influencing digital policy regulation worldwide. Professor Bradford assesses how this contest interacts with the concentration of ec…

In his remarks to the IIEA, Dr Declan Downey discusses how since the promulgation of its Constitution in 1947, Japan has forsworn war and the use of nuclear weapons, maintained military neutrality, and pursued a pacifist foreign policy. Yet, it has not adopted ‘the ostrich pose’ regarding recent and emerging challenges to international stability. O…

Great Yarmouth in Norfolk is probably a town you have never heard of, but it has a large population of EU migrant workers who came to the UK before Brexit to work in chicken factories and on farms. We wanted to know about their lives especially their working conditions. The working conditions were not good, and harassment and bullying were common. …

In his address to the IIEA, the Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs discusses the impacts of the upcoming enlargement(s) on the functioning of the EU and how the EU must reform itself in order to prepare for such enlargement(s). Secretary of State Antunes focuses on the challenges and opportunities of an enlarged EU, with a particula…

Paschal Donohoe TD, President of the Eurogroup and Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform of Ireland,participates in a fireside chat with Daire Lawler, IIEA Senior Economics Researcher and Chair of the YPN, and a question-and-answer session with members. In his capacity as President of the Eurogroup, the grou…

International tensions, proliferating security threats and talk of global conflict have become more common in recent years after decades of relative stability following the end of the Cold War. The rise of a more assertive China and intensifying cyber security threats are among two of the issues Nigel Inkster, formerly of MI6, has highlighted in hi…

'What looms for the Greater Middle East?'Great power competition is intensifying and democracy has lost its allure. Nowhere are these trends more evident than in what Robert D Kaplan calls the 'Greater Middle East'. In this IIEA Insights discussion he highlights some of the key points made in his magisterial survey of the region in 'The Loom of Tim…

In his speech, Dr David Nabarro reflects on local and national priorities regarding food systems transformation, an area where Ireland is an acknowledged leader. He also focuses on interconnected challenges such as climate action and sustainable development. Dr Nabarro presents his experience of the catalysing effect of systems thinking and adoptin…

According to Admiral Rob Bauer, as the world faces unprecedented conflict, NATO is entering into a new era of collective defence. The Alliance is moving from an era in which everything was plannable, foreseeable, and predictable to an era in which anything can happen at any time, in any domain. In his address to the IIEA, Admiral Bauer argues that …

The Building Common Ground series was established by The John and Pat Hume Foundation with the aim of creating genuine and inclusive opportunities for dialogue and discussion which will enhance relationships in Northern Ireland, on the island and between Ireland and Britain.This discussion was hosted by the IIEA in Dublin, Thursday 22 February 2024…

In his address to the IIEA, George Monbiot discusses how humanity is living within an increasingly tight space, one in which 8 billion people and more need to be fed, within an Earth system whose planetary boundaries have already been breached, to a large extent as a result of food production. How do we maintain high yields, while radically reducin…

In his address to the IIEA, Alberto Alemanno shares his views on the state of the European Union and the major political, legal and public policy trends in advance of the European Parliament elections and the new legislature.About the Speaker:Alberto Alemanno is the Jean Monnet Professor of European Union Law & Policy at HEC Paris. Alberto’s resear…

In his address, Mr Moledo gives an overview of the findings of the European Disability Forum’s 6th Human Rights Report, which is entitled: political participation of persons with disabilities. The report outlines the legal and practical barriers that persons with disabilities face when exercising their electoral rights in the EU elections across th…

This event was organised in conjunction with Gas Networks IrelandExpert speakers discuss how Ireland can harness the potential of renewable gas production and anaerobic digestion to decarbonise the national gas network. As Ireland seeks to meet its green transition obligations, biomethane and other renewable gases could not only enable Ireland's de…

In her speech, Dr Annette Weber, EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa, focuses on the political dynamics in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region. She discusses the Civil War in Sudan, tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia, and other issues in a simmering Red Sea arena. She also addresses the role of regional organisations, the incr…

Following Russia’s illegal and brutal invasion of Ukraine almost two years ago, the EU, together with partners from the G7+ coalition, has adopted several packages of unprecedented sanctions against Russia. The main objective of these sanctions is threefold: 1) to provide Ukraine with a key military advantage by depleting Russia from accessing dual…

According to Dr Benjamin Tallis, the Zeitenwende, Germany’s security transformation, remains incomplete. On its current track, it is also dangerously inadequate. Despite the manufactured budgetary crisis, the Scholz government needs to finish the task it started. This requires the courage to be honest with the German people about the state of the w…

In his address to the IIEA, three years after the UK-EU Brexit deal came into force, Financial Times journalist, Peter Foster, examines how the UK’s 2016 vote to leave the EU roiled British politics and led to the limited deal that currently governs relations between London and Brussels. In a year of big elections, Mr Foster reflects on how a Labou…

A month on from COP28, the question remains: did the COP signal a sufficient commitment by countries and stakeholders to adequately address the issue of our age? Catherine Stewart, Canada’s Ambassador for Climate Change, and Sinéad Walsh, Climate Director at Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, have been at the forefront of their respective gov…

It has been observed repeatedly that the forthcoming presidential election in the United States may test American democracy to an unprecedented extent and prove pivotal in terms of the future role of the US in international affairs. In his address to the IIEA, Larry Donnelly examines several of the key topics that will soon be to the fore: the like…

The European Union is currently debating the two inextricably connected issues of EU enlargement and reform. These discussions are taking place against the background of a challenging geopolitical situation with wars in the centre of Europe and in the Middle East. In her address to the IIEA as part of the Future Proofing Europe project supported by…

At this, the next event of the IIEA YPN, Dr Patricia Scanlon, Ireland’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) Ambassador, and Founder and Executive Chair of SoapBox Labs, considers the future of AI and its implications for our economies and societies. Dr Scanlon discusses the challenges and opportunities of AI in the fields of education, healthcare, a…

Ahead of the US Presidential Election, a new European Commission, European Parliament and President of the European Council, as well as the potential election of a Labour-led Government in the UK, a panel of experts looks ahead to the 2024 political year in the US, the EU, and the UK respectively. The panel also considers how each jurisdiction’s po…

In her remarks to the IIEA, Dr Emmanuelle Schon-Quinlivan reflects on France's 2023, and discuss possibilities for 2024. She reflects on President Macron's second term, the challenges posed by civil unrest in France, and the country’s experience with migration. Looking to 2024, Dr Schon-Quinlivan discusses France's preparations for the 2024 Paris O…

The single market is at the heart of the EU economy and is the foundation upon which many of the EU’s economic objectives are built. Yet the EU’s efforts to meaningfully deepen, reinvigorate and adapt the Single Market in recent years have, at times, fallen short of those lofty ambitions. Enrico Letta was recently tasked by the European Council wit…

In his address to the IIEA, Paul Cunningham talks about his experience of reporting from Israel, which was under rocket attack by Hamas, and from within a few kilometers of Gaza rather than from that conflict zone. He outlines the difficulties this presents in getting to the truth and informing the audiences. In contrast to wars which he covered in…

The third and final seminar of the IIEA’s inaugural disability programme will celebrate the recent International Day for Persons with Disabilities (3 December) by discussing the theme "United in action to rescue and achieve the SDGs for, with and by persons with disabilities". It will hear from Dr James Casey, Independent Living Movement, Ireland, …

In 2013, William D. Nordhaus, Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences, published his acclaimed book The Climate Casino. In the book, Professor Nordhaus argued that the world had entered the climate casino and was rolling the global warming dice in the absence of effective policies to tackle climate change. A decade on from the book’s release, and follo…

The next address of the IIEA's Development Matters series, which is supported by Irish Aid, will be given by Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). In her speech, entitled Polyglobalisation: Debt, Trade and Geopolitics, she explores the links between development and trade and the place of developi…