14 April 2021 | 17.00 – 19.00 (CET) | Zoom webinar
REGISTER NOW
The access to European Union and the status of EU membership require significant reforms in order for a country to align with the Union’s overall legal framework and values. However, the recent deterioration in civil liberties in EU members and EU acceding countries, along with the migration and refugee crisis of the last 5 years and the rise of populism have called into question the European Union’s commitment to political freedom. This political debate must be informed by facts, and the current publication seeks to provide empirical evidence of a link between the EU accession process and the aim of promoting political freedom.
In this event we will discuss our latest publication, EU Accession and Political Freedom. Some key questions that will be discuss include: Is the accession to the European Union a reforming period linked to more political freedom? Which of the current EU policies foster political freedom? Do we identify EU economic policies or institutional factors with a detrimental effect to political freedom? What is the role of other European institutions such as the European Court of Human Rights in promoting human rights and freedom? Which are the main policies the now acceding countries should focus on. What the EU should do for countries in which rule of law seems to be in retreat?
Speakers include:
Emmanuel Schizas, Lead Researcher and author, member of KEFiM’s academic board, Lead in Regulation and RegTech at the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF)
Sarka Prat, Director, Institute for Politics and Society
Bican Şahin, Αssociate professor of political science in the department of Political Science and Public Administration at Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey, chairman of Freedom Research Association.
Gregory Vallianatos, Vice President of political party Liberal Alliance, journalist, human rights activist, member KEFiM’s advisory board.
Nana Kalandadze, Programme Manager in the Regional Europe Programme at The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.
Moderated by Nektaria Stamouli, Politico
Read the full publication: EU Accession and Political Freedom
