Democratic Resilience in light of the 2024 EU elections

EU3D Final Policy Dialogue

Time and location: 4 July 2023 12:15-15:30
Bruegel, Rue de la Charité 33, 1210 Brussels
Format: Public, Hybrid, On the record, Livestreamed
Contact: Matilda Sevón

Speakers

Thanasis Bakolas

Secretary General, The European People's Party

Sergio Fabbrini

Dean of the Department of Political Science, Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli,

Giacomo Filibeck

Executive Secretary General, Party of European Socialists

John Erik Fossum

Professor, ARENA Centre for European Studies, University of Oslo; EU3D coordinator,

Magdalena Góra

Associate Professor, Institute of European Studies, Jagiellonian University,

Christopher Lord

Professor, ARENA - Centre for European Studies, University of Oslo

Didrik de Schaetzen

Secretary General ad interim, ALDE Party

Agenda

Check in and lunch

12:15-13:00

Agenda

Session 1: Setting the scene: parliamentary debates

13:00-13:45

Chair: John Erik Fossum, Professor, ARENA Centre for European Studies, University of Oslo; EU3D coordinator
Sergio Fabbrini, Dean of the Department of Political Science, Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli
Magdalena Góra, Associate Professor, Institute of European Studies, Jagiellonian University
Christopher Lord, Professor, ARENA - Centre for European Studies, University of Oslo

A key concern of EU3D is to discuss the effects of EU differentiation. A key premise of EU3D is that some forms of differentiation are conducive to democratic resilience and some forms and constellations of EU differentiation may undermine democratic resilience. What are EU3D’s main findings in terms of democratic resilience?

Agenda

Coffee & tea break

13:45-14:00

Agenda

Session 2: Discussion with political parties

14:00-15:30

Chair: Heather Grabbe, Senior fellow
Thanasis Bakolas, Secretary General, The European People's Party
Giacomo Filibeck, Executive Secretary General, Party of European Socialists
Benedetta De Marte, Secretary General, European Green Party
Didrik de Schaetzen, Secretary General ad interim, ALDE Party

Parliaments and political parties have long been considered key institutional mainstays of democracy, hence essential for democratic resilience in Europe. How does the European Parliament fit into this picture? Further, what impact may the European Parliamentary elections in 2024 have on democratic resilience? This applies to the EP’s anticipated role in entrenching the role of parliaments and parties across Europe. Further is the EP’s role in future democratic reform for the EU. Are the 2024 elections likely to have an impact on that? What does the EP and its parties think about new and experimental modes of democracy? The EP was a strong supporter of the CoFoE. What are citizens’ perceptions of the EP election? How do they see it as affecting EU legitimacy and Europe’s future development?

Representative democracies are facing an uncertain period characterized by technocratic, plebiscitarian, and authoritarian tendencies; with revolutions in social communication, digital technology, changes in the scale of governance, demographic changes, and new emergencies (climate, health, security) involving new risks and changing perceptions of risk. Do these challenges represent fundamental threats to democracy as a system of rule or do threats vary in severity across states and political systems? In addressing these questions, this final Policy Conference of the EU3D project will focus on democratic resilience because the challenges require special attention to the factors that sustain viable democracy.

Project

This event was an output of the EU3D project.