Time: Thursday April 23 at 13.15-14.45
Auditorium: To be announced
Chair: Head of Research Catharina Sørensen, Think Tank Europe

Populism and euroscepticism have been prominent forces in Europe over the past decade, creating a tense and constraining climate for EU-leaders trying to resolve the polycrisis of the eurozone, migration, Brexit, and the rule of law. Even in Germany, where there is no tradition of euroscepticism, the rise of Alternative Für Deutschland suggests that no European country is immune to radical voices demanding fundamental change to society and the EU. The ability of conventional parties to address these developments has been as dismal as their own support ratings, and there is growing evidence to suggest that the populist and eurosceptic support base is much broader than ‘angry white men’ and ‘globalisation losers’, including also ‘ordinary’ citizens who feel nostalgic about the past. This panel will leave the comfort zone of the traditional ‘them and us’ rhetoric, which plots good progressive citizens against bad populist citizens, to examine contemporary public disaffection as a human reaction to recent global dynamics, such as the spread of international terrorism, new migration patterns, digital disruption, and deeper supranational cooperation in the EU.

Speakers:
Professor Christian Martin, New York University/Kiel University:
How anti-European is the German AfD? Analyzing voter and party activist sentiments.

Associate professor Sofia Vasilopoulou, University of York:
The role of emotions in contemporary displays of public disaffection in Europe.

Professor Mark Gilbert, John Hopkins University (Bologna):
Euroscepticism in the UK and Italy

Time: Thursday April 23 at 15.15-16.45
Auditorium: To be announced
Chair:  Professor Daniel Finke, Aarhus University

The so-called “refugee crisis” in late 2015 drew public attention to a key challenge facing Europe in the 21st century. The unfortunate combination of poverty and political instability in its Southern neighbours is causing significant immigrations flows to Europe. Northern European welfare states such as Denmark and Germany are attractive destination for those immigrants. Consequently, immigration is challenging these countries on multiple dimensions. On the moral dimension, the EU and its member states are treading a fine line between maintaining high humanitarian standards while deterring migrants either at the external borders or by reducing their rights upon arrival. On the economic dimension, Denmark and Germany are in need of skilled immigrants, often not congruent with the skill sets of arriving refugees and migrants.  On the socio-cultural dimension, both countries face similar challenges of integration, but pursue different integration policies. On the political dimension, mass migration is nourishing the campaigns and electoral successes of right-wing populists. Moreover, mass migration is testing the freedom of movement and the political cohesion in the EU.

Speakers:
Professor Marc Hebling, Wissenschaftcentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung:
Global warming, migration flows and attitudes towards climate change refugees

Associate Professor Eike Thieleman, London School of Economics:
Responding to Refugee Crises: Who protects refugees? And why?

Professor Florian Trauner, Institute for European Studies (IES) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussels:
Reforming the Common European Asylum System: mission impossible?

Time: Friday April 24 at 10.30-12.00
Auditorium: To be announced
Chair: Director Kristian Fischer, Danish Institute for International Studies

In recent years, the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP, both military and civilian components) has undergone rapid and substantial developments. The CSDP is expected to develop even further in coming years. One of the key developments has been the Commission’s substantial engagements, which might expand even more. Some of the new, concrete developments will be the establishment and implementation of the European Defense Fund (EDF), the further development of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), the future of European Defense Agency (EDA) and further development of operative engagements in and outside Europe. After the elections to the EU Parliament, the role of the new Commission will be most interesting. German and French ambitions, roles and plans in these developments will be essential. At the same time, assessment of the potential implications for Denmark of future participation - or not - in the CSDP will be relevant to discuss. The developments of the CSDP must also be seen in the light of the significant changes in the “framework conditions” for European security – Russia, terror/extremism, migration, China, transatlantic relations - and the explanatory power of such factors with regard to the dynamic changes in the CSDP.

Speakers:
Secretary General of the EU Council of Ministers Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen:
The Global Context - The EU Between the US and China

Security and Defence editor Daniel Fiott, European Institute for Security Studies:
Increased European Strategic Autonomy - what is being meant when this term is used?

Program director Jana Puglierin, German Council for Foreign Relations (Berlin):
The German Approach to EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy

Researcher Christine Nissen, Danish Institute of International Studies:
Opting out of EU defense cooperation: the case of Denmark

Time: Friday April 24 at 13.15-14.45
Auditorium: To be announced
Chair: Danish Ambassador to Germany Friis Arne Petersen, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

European integration has been increasingly dominating the European continent since the end of WWII. Expanding from a core of six founding member states to 27, the EU of today geographically affects all of Europe directly and indirectly. Furthermore, the EU’s cooperation, with its unique institutional setup and directly, legally binding character on member states and citizens, has tied former conflicting countries, like France and Germany or Denmark and Germany, to each other in a completely new and stabilising way. However, recent developments, such as Brexit and cleavages (North-South-East) related to especially the Euro-crisis, the degree of adherence to budget discipline and the refugee-crisis, have exercised increased pressure on the European cooperation and cohesion. The global development with America First, a more aggressive Russia and a more powerful and self-confident China has changed the overall international situation and context for the EU. In this session, the aim is to address the scope for European cohesion and the need for more cohesive EU actions in maintaining and possibly expanding the rule-based international order.

Speakers:
Danish Ambassador to Germany Friis Arne Petersen, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

Sibylle Sorg, German Foreign Ministry
Germany‘s views on EU unity

Professor Mathias Jopp, Director Institut für Europäische Politik (Berlin):
Strengthening European Ties: German EU Politics and the Significance of German-Nordic Cooperation