Europe and the World

What is Europe’s role in the world? How do we deal with big questions revolving around refugees, climate change, migration and labour market, and new (digital) threats for a democratic and safe world?

Political issues are more and more global issues. Solutions, therefore, can’t be dealt with only on national level. International, worldwide – indeed global – cooperation is needed here. What should be Europe’s role in this context – squeezed as it is between sovereign nation-states on the one hand and international relations and organisations on the other? How to act between a nationalist pull and a globalist push? How can Europe effectively strategize in this global and geopolitical arena – as a power player, a broker, a diplomat? What are Europe’s specific values it brings into this international context? Do we strive to build a strong Europe or are national interests our main priority?

On the eve of the European elections, we challenge candidates for the different political parties in the European parliament to explain and discuss their positions on these vital policy issues.

Debaters:
Kati Piri (PvdA, Socialists & Democrats)
Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle (D66, Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Europe)
Tineke Strik (GroenLinks, Greens/European Free Alliance)
Sara Murawski (SP, European United Left/Nordic Green Left)

Moderators:
Mendeltje van Keulen, lector Changing Role of Europe, Haagse Hogeschool
Hans Harbers, sociologist and philosopher, University of Groningen

Format:
After a general answer of all the speakers on these questions, we try to get the different party positions clear and concrete by means of 4 issues:

1. Climate and energy
2. Migration and labour market
3. Refugees and international rule of law
4. Old (military) and new (digital) security challenges

Leading theme in all these issues is the tension between (national and/or European) independence and global interdependence.

This programme is organized by SIB, ESN, Globalisation Studies Groningen and Studium Generale.