Hamburg-Vigoni Talks – #3 On the tension between state sovereignty and European supranationalitywith Prof. Dr phil. habil. Michael Gehler and Prof Dr Markus Kotzur

10 November 2020

In the third Hamburg-Vigoni Talk, Prof. Dr. phil. habil. Michael Gehler and Prof. Dr. Markus Kotzur engaged in a discussion focusing on the relationship between state sovereignty and European supranationality. Michael Gehler is a professor of Modern German and European History at the University of Hildesheim and the director of the Institute for History there. He holds a Jean Monnet ad-personam Chair and has been a member of the Council of the Jean Monnet Foundation for Europe in Lausanne since 2020. Markus Kotzur is a professor of European and international law at the University of Hamburg and also the president of the Europa-Kolleg Hamburg.

Approaching the topic from historical and legal perspectives, Michael Gehler and Markus Kotzur began with a definitional positioning, followed by a reflection on the inherent necessity of tension between state sovereignty and European supranationality. In conclusion, they conducted an assessment regarding the current stage of development of European federalism.

The "Hamburg-Vigoni Talks" is a discussion format within the Hamburg-Vigoni Forum. The series aims to relate the thematic focuses of the forum - space, sovereignty, and identity - to current political topics and further promote the desired connection between politics and research. The intention is not a theoretical discussion of complex topoi but rather an accessible discussion of their actual significance in political practice.

The conversations primarily take place among the scientists from the organizing institutions of the forum and are conducted in an interdisciplinary manner. To avoid a mono perspective view, the circle of speakers is not limited to the academic field but occasionally includes individuals with practical political backgrounds.