European and Eurasian Studies Program NEWSLETTER Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center of Excellence INSIDE THIS Volume 3, Issue 1 — Fall 2020 ISSUE Presentation….…………...…..……. 1 MFJMCE Webinars………..…..2 - 8 - Roundtable Discussion: Populism & Democratic Backsliding in Europe............................................2 - Roundtable Discussion: Germany, the United States, and the FALL 2020 Highlights Challenges of the pandemic…..…..3-4 - Regional Integration and EU-Latin America Relations under the Impact of COVID-19 ………………..….…… 6 - Roundtable Discussion: An update on EU-Iran Relations ....7-8 Jean Monnet In the USA Webinar Series…………………………….…..4-5 - The German Presidency at Mid-point .………………………...………..…….5 Conversations on Europe…...9-11 Markus Thiel Christine I. Caly-Sanchez David J. Kramer Director, MFJMCE Associate Director, MFJMCE & EESP Director, EESP Lady Blanka Rosenstiel Lecture Series…………...…….….….…..12–13 - History of Poland in Time Magazine Dear friends, We also were active with our EU Jean Covers: ………………………..…..…12 Monnet in the USA network (more than 10 EU We’re happy to share with you our Fall 2020 Centers), where we were able to connect with - Shifting Political Landscapes in newsletter, which provides a good overview Europe: Poland’s Role……….……..13 experts on Europe via virtual roundtables for of the many events and activities we hosted more than fifteen discussions. Interviews with EU Consuls... 14-24 virtually at our European & Eurasian Studies Program and the Miami-Florida Jean Monnet You can watch the recorded videos about - Interview with Consul General of the Center of Excellence. Over the past four these and many other events inside this Federal Republic of Germany Andreas months, we hosted a total of 47 virtual events. newsletter. Siegel on the Fall of the Berlin Wall ……………………………….…....14-19 We would like to take this opportunity to wish Highlights include our experts panels on - The Fall of the Berlin Wall: populism and democracy in Europe, the you a safe, healthy, and prosperous New A Conversation with Witnesses…...19 challenges of the pandemic in Europe and Year, and we are looking forward to seeing Latin America, the German Presidency, the you virtually at one of our events this spring. - Interview with Consul General of EU-Iran relations, the Conversations on France Laurent Gallissot on the 5th Sincerely, Anniversary of the Paris Agreement Europe “Europe creating Europe” series with ……………………….………….....20-24 the University of Pittsburgh; the interview on Christine I. Caly-Sanchez - Commitments for Action………..…..24 the Fall of the Berlin Wall with Consul Markus Thiel David J. Kramer General of the Federal of Republic of Observing Human Rights Day..25 Germany, Andreas Siegel, and the interview #UnitedAgainstCoronavirus #StrongerTogether on the 5th Anniversary of the Paris EU & Eurasian Studies Certificates Agreement with Consul General of France, Follow us and for more information: ………………………………...…...26 Laurent Gallissot. Contact info & Announcements .27 F A L L 2 0 2 0 P A G E 2 MFJMCE WEBINAR Populism and Democratic Backsliding in Europe Oct. 06, 2020 over corruption, over the mismanaged outcome of some Democratic transitions in Central and Eastern Europe, over the migration waves, the Brexit fragmentation, the lingering euro crisis, and the European union’s liberal cosmopolitan shared model of governance. A panel of experts offered a discussion on the current status of populism, what can be done, and what the future will look like. Dr. Marcel Lewandowsky dealt with a question: Why exactly are we talking about populism when we are observing a democratic backsliding? In his presentation, he argued that we do so because populism has a lot to do with democracy in that populism is a liberal normative orientation to democracy. The second panelist, Dr. Noemi Marin, pointed out that On October 6, the Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center popular discourse is not new. Its current forms are new or of Excellence hosted a virtual roundtable on the seductive renewed, but all political discourse carries authoritarian power of populism in European states and its impact on dimensions with it if practice does such. This is a democracy in the region. In the EU, including in Central rhetorical plug for the need to expand more rhetorical and and Eastern Europe, populist parties of various stripes historical connections of political communication in order succeeded in riding a wave of anger over corruption, to explain the rise and fall of all authoritarian discourse in resentment at the outcome of the democratic transition, different times and different levels of persuasive success. and anxiety about migration and the EU’s principle of She remarked that populism is fundamentally part of shared governance. Their leaders all have charismatic authoritarian political discourse. personalities who master the anti-establishment rhetoric to perfection and are often supported by Russia. Lastly, Amb. Martin Palouš said that to gain a deep understanding of the phenomena, we need to go back to Dr. Markus Thiel, Associate Professor of the Dept. of the past and put our situation into a broader historical Politics & International Relations and Director of the context. He concluded by inviting populist leaders not to Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center of Excellence at FIU, give us their political statements but to open a dialogue moderated this exciting panel, made up of three experts, about identity and the situation in the world we are in. including: An engaging discussion between the panelists followed Dr. Marcel Lewandowsky, DAAD Visiting Assistant their presentations. The audience that actively Professor at the Center for European Studies participated in the online platform contributed thought- University of Florida provoking comments and questions that made the conversation even more enjoyable. Dr. Noemi Marin, Professor of the School of This event was part of the #JMintheUS event series, an Communication and Multimedia Studies at Florida initiative of Jean Monnet Centers in the US. Atlantic University The Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center of Excellence Amb. Martin Palouš, former Czech Ambassador to wants to thank the institutions that co-sponsored this the United States and former Czech Republic’s roundtable, including the European & Eurasian Studies Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Program-FIU, the Politics & International Relations Senior Fellow of the School of International and Public Department at FIU, the Václav Havel Center for Human Affairs (SIPA), and Director of SIPA’s Václav Havel Rights and Diplomacy at FIU, the Center for European Center for Human Rights and Diplomacy initiative at Studies at the University of Florida, Florida Atlantic FIU University, and the American University Transatlantic Dr. Markus Thiel welcomed the audience that joined Policy Center. online from several countries of the EU and different states in the US. He highlighted the importance of ► To watch video, click here populism nowadays, especially given the rise of COVID- ► To view flyer. click here 19. Populist parties of various drives, from the left as well ► To view panelists’ bios, click here as from the right, succeeded in writing a wave of anger F A L L 2 0 2 0 P A G E 3 Roundtable Discussion Germany, The United States, and the Challenges of the Pandemic Oct. 15, 2020 Louise K. Davidson-Schmich Hon. Andreas Siegel Markus Thiel David J. Kramer The Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center of Excellence and Mr. David J. Kramer, Senior Fellow in the Václav Havel European and Eurasian Studies Program at FIU were Program for Human Rights and Diplomacy at Florida pleased to participate in a roundtable discussion on International University Germany, the United States, and the Challenges of the Pandemic at the University of Miami on October 15. This Dr. Brian Blankenship, Assistant Professor of Political roundtable was financed by a generous grant from the Science at the University of Miami. Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Washington, DC’s Campus Weeks Building Tomorrow Dr. Davidson-Schmich welcomed the audience and program. @GermanyinUSA introduced the roundtable about the new and challenging issues that Germany, the EU, and the US face in the context The expert-led discussion revolved around how Germany, of the Covid-19 pandemic. the EU, and the US have responded to COVID-19. How have these countries been impacted by the disease, medically, Firstly, Hon. Andreas Siegel discussed how the German politically, and economically? What is the current state of government has dealt with the challenges of the pandemic. Transatlantic relations, and what does the future hold? Secondly, Dr. Bailey talked about the challenges that the US A remarkable group of experts addressed diverse aspects of has faced in combating the virus. these questions. Speakers included: Thirdly, Dr. Thiel addressed the EU responses to the Dr. Louise K. Davidson-Schmich, Professor of Political pandemic. Furthermore, Mr. Kramer focused on the impact Science at the University of Miami of the pandemic on human rights and democracy more broadly. Lastly, Dr. Blankenship talked about the effects of Hon. Andreas T. Siegel, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Florida, Puerto Rico, and the US the pandemic on alliance and transatlantic relationships. Virgin Islands Following each expert individual presentation, students from Dr. Zinzi Bailey, Assistant Scientist at the University of FIU and the University of Miami asked some questions.