Joint Policy Forum Brussels-Bialystok: Elections to the European Parliament as a Challenge for Democracy
Start: 5 Mar 2014 12:00
End: 5 Mar 2014 16:00
The Institute for European Studies (IES) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium and the Centre for Direct Democracy Studies (CDDS) at the University of Białystok (UwB), Poland kindly invite you to a joint policy forum on the “Elections to the European Parliament as a Challenge for Democracy” on 5 March 2014 in Brussels. This policy forum will be combined with the launch of the book “Elections to the European Parliament as a Challenge for Democracy” edited by Elżbieta Kużelewska (UwB-CDDS) and Dariusz Kloza (VUB-IES). Prof. Jerzy Buzek MEP will address the participants with a keynote speech. Speakers will include:
Panel Debate I: The design of the EP elections: Experience from selected EU Member States
· Prof. Dr. Erich Schweighofer, University of Vienna, Austria
· Prof. Dr. Francisco J. Vanaclocha, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain
· Dr. Andrzej Jackiewicz, University of Białystok, Poland
· Dr. Rubén Sánchez Medero, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain
· Davide Carrino, Edelman, Belgium
· Maaike Geuens, University of Antwerp, Belgium
· Georgia Christina Kosmidou, M.A. Johns Hopkins University, United States
Panel Debate II. The role of the EP in reducing the EU democratic deficit
· Prof. Dr. Mariusz Golecki, University of Łódź, Poland
· Dr. Tomasz Dubowski, University of Białystok, Poland
· Dr. Magdalena Sapala, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium (t.b.c.)
· Dr. Franciszek Strzyczkowski, University of Łódź, Poland
· Davide Denti, University of Trento, Italy
· Cristina Stanculescu, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
Chairmen:
· Dr. Izabela Kraśnicka, University of Białystok, Poland
· Dr. Elżbieta Kużelewska, University of Białystok, Poland
· Dariusz Kloza, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
Concluding remarks will be offered by Prof. Dr. Tanel Kerikmäe, Tallinn Law School, Tallinn University of Technology. The Brussels policy forum will be followed up in Białystok, Poland on Tuesday, 15 April 2014. The speakers and the agenda for that meeting will be announced shortly.
The forthcoming 2014 elections to the European Parliament inspired the Institute for European Studies (IES) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Centre for Direct Democracy Studies (CDDS) at the University of Białystok (UwB) to organize a policy forum with a view to discuss solutions to the pressing problems of the European Parliament (elections) as a challenge for democracy.
Topics for the discussion will include, among others:
· Selected national case studies, e.g. Austria, Belgium, Greece, Spain, Malta and Poland
· The role of the uniform electoral procedure in reducing democratic deficit and prospects thereof in the foreseeable future
·The prospects for European public space and European parties
· Raising awareness about the EP (elections)
· Why should an ordinary citizen be interested in partaking in the EP elections?
Registration & Venue
The policy forum starts at 12:00 with a lunch reception and will be followed by the discussion at 12:30. Participation is free of charge and open to all but due to space limitations, registration is mandatory. Please register here!
Venue:
Institute for European Studies
Karel Van Miert Building
Conference Room Rome (Floor -1)
Pleinlaan 5
1050 Brussels
[directions]
Contact
Dariusz Kloza
Researcher
Institute for European Studies
academic.director@ies.be
Ms. Jacintha Liem (Logistics)
Events Manager
Institute for European Studies
events@ies.be