Online conference "Foreign Perspectives on European Identity"
30 November 2021
Domestic disputes over the preservation of common values and global challenges that require a unified EU position have reignited debates on the question of a common identity and the EU's emerging ability to act credibly and collectively on the global stage. To what extent can the European Union be considered a state-like actor? How do perceptions of the EU's cultural, political, and legal identity influence its legitimacy and scope for action? Has the EU recently lost credibility as a global pioneer for value-based politics in the world?
The "Foreign Perspectives on European Identity" online conference went beyond the traditional format of a purely internal European discourse on the challenges facing the EU to answer these and other questions and deliberately integrated external perspectives. The conference brought together renowned international experts with multidisciplinary academic backgrounds to engage in an interdisciplinary exchange.
The panel "The EU as an international actor: Classifying statehood and justifying state behavior" was moderated by Eva Leptien, University of Hamburg, and discussed by
- Prof Henk Botha, Stellenbosch University,
- Prof Liu Lirong, Fudan University, and
- Prof Chin-peng Chu, National Dong Hwa University.
The second panel "Perspectives on cultural, political and legal identity. One Europe and many Europeans?", was moderated by Prof Dr. Markus Kotzur, University of Hamburg, followed by the panelists
- Prof. J.H.H. Weiler, New York University, und
- Prof. Eli Salzberger, University of Haifa.
The panel "Losing leadership? Perceptions of the EU in relation to environmental/climate policy and the realization of human rights" was held on the second day of the conference.
- Prof Ingo Sarlet, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, and
- Prof. R. Daniel Kelemen, Rutgers University,
The discussion was moderated by Manuela Niehaus, University of Hamburg.
Finally
- Prof Alberto van Klaveren, Universidad de Chile, and
- Dr Anne Dienelt, Research Fellow and Lecturer, University of Hamburg,
- moderated by Dr Holger Niemann, Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg,
drew a conclusion and ventured an outlook in the panel "Looking in, looking out and looking further".
The detailed program of the event can be found here.