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Rupture and renewal in Europe: ARENA's 25th anniversary conference

ARENA will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a half-day public conference at the House of Literature on 18 November 2019. 

flags in front of European Parliament building

The European Parliament in Strasbourg (colourbox.com)

2019 marks the 25th anniversary of ARENA Centre for European Studies, and 25 years of studying European integration. It is also 25 years since the referendum on Norwegian EU membership and the EEA Agreement came into force.

The Europeanisation of the nation state has come a long way, and the non-member Norway is also deeply affected by the integration process. Yet, the breadth and depth of Europeanisation is not very well known among the population at large. Meanwhile, the EU in 2019 is dealing with a number of external and internal challenges, including Brexit; geopolitical strains in the Union’s relationship with both Russia and the United States; challenges to the freedom of the media and the rule of law in some member states; continued difficulties in the reform of the monetary union; and populist challenges to representative democracy and expertise on which the Union depends. At the same time, as Brexit demonstrates, there is a lack of knowledge of how the EU actually works among officials as well as the population at large.

We mark the 25th anniversary of ARENA with a conference addressing the current crises and challenges the EU is facing. We also ask: how can researchers advance knowledge of key processes of integration and disintegration? How can ARENA contribute to further that research?

Programme

11:30

12:00

Coffee and registration

Welcome

  • Erik O. Eriksen, Professor and Director, ARENA Centre for European Studies
  • Åse Gornitzka, Vice-Rector, University of Oslo

12:15

ARENA and the EEA Agreement 25 years

Ine Eriksen Søreide, Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs

12:45

Keynote speech: From Europe’s Would-Be Polity to Power

Brigid Laffan, Director and Professor, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute

13:15

Panel: Populist opposition and the quest for reform

Chair: Asimina Michailidou, Senior Researcher, ARENA Centre for European Studies

  • Brigid Laffan, Professor, European University Institute
  • Magdalena Gora, Assistant Professor, Jagiellonian University
  • Christopher Lord, Professor, ARENA Centre for European Studies
  • Hans-Jörg Trenz, Professor, ARENA Centre for European Studies and University of Copenhagen

13:45

Discussion and Q&A

14:15

Coffee break

14:30

The EU's present predicaments: Snapshots from ARENA's research

Chair: Jarle Trondal, Professor, ARENA Centre for European Studies and University of Agder

  • Can differentiation solve Europe’s current challenges? Prof. John Erik Fossum
  • EU in the world – a promoter of global justice? Prof. Helene Sjursen
  • How to solve the legitimation problems in the Eurozone? Prof. Christopher Lord
  • What kind of mandate for the unelected in Europe? Postdoctoral fellow Andreas Eriksen

15:15

Discussion and Q&A

15:45

Reception 

Remarks by:

  • Ingjerd Hoëm,  Vice-dean for education at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Oslo
  • Ragnar Lie, Former Administrative Director of ARENA, Reflections on ARENA and Norwegian social science 

Registration

The event requires registration. The registration is now closed. If you wish to participate, please contact Ragnhild Grønning.

Published Oct. 14, 2019 10:27 AM - Last modified Nov. 14, 2019 10:50 AM