The European Dialogue

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Expert insights on democracy, human rights, EU policies & global influence.

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Latest Episodes:

India, Europe, and the Ukraine War: Perceptions Beyond Brussels with Rahul Desarda

Between Sovereignty and Normative Power: Reassessing EU–ASEAN Relations with Sukmawani Bela Pertiwi

In this episode of The European Dialogue, we explore how the European Union’s response to Russia’s war against Ukraine is perceived beyond Europe — with a particular focus on India and the wider Global South. What does Europe’s value-based foreign policy look like from New Delhi? And what does this mean for the EU’s global credibility today?

We are joined by Rahul Desarda, Assistant Lecturer at Jindal Global Law School and Assistant Director of the Mahatma Gandhi Centre for Peace Studies, for a timely conversation recorded in Jakarta during the EU-VALUES International Conference hosted by BINUS University in December 2025. Drawing on his research in international law and peace studies, Rahul unpacks India’s position on the war in Ukraine and situates it within a broader foreign-policy approach shaped by strategic autonomy and multipolarity.

Key Topics Covered:

India’s position on Russia’s war against Ukraine
How Indian policy, media, and academic debates view EU sanctions and military assistance
What Global South perspectives reveal about Europe’s normative power
Comparisons with Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa
How the EU can strengthen the credibility of its value-based foreign policy and multilateral engagement

How has ASEAN evolved beyond economics, and what does this mean for democracy, human rights, and its partnership with the European Union?

In this episode of The European Dialogue, Sukmawani Bela Pertiwi unpacks the political development of ASEAN, its foundational principles of sovereignty and non-interference, and how these shape the region’s engagement with Europe.

Drawing on Bela’s extensive expertise in Southeast Asian studies and EU–ASEAN cooperation, this conversation explores the intersection of regionalism, values, and political diversity, and asks a crucial question: How much space does the EU really have to promote human rights in a region where sovereignty is fiercely protected?

Listen now to learn about:

The historical origins and evolution of ASEAN
How ASEAN approaches democracy and human rights across diverse political systems
The current state of EU–ASEAN relations — beyond trade and into politics
Why the EU’s “normative power” is often limited in Southeast Asia
The softer, hybrid forms of engagement the EU uses to support long-term human rights change.

Browse all episodes of the European Dialogue:

Sept 2024: In this episode, Prof. Elisabeth Johansson-Nogués discusses the EU’s shifting foreign policy during the Ukraine war.
Based on her research Geopolitical EU? The EU's Wartime Assistance to Ukraine (JCMS, 2024), co-authored with Francesca Leso, this discussion examines the EU’s response, the defense of its core values, and the challenges ahead.
Listen now to understand more about how the war in Ukraine is transforming EU foreign policy, the EU’s evolving role in global security & defense, beyond military aid: defending democracy, sovereignty & human rights and the future of IR in a post-war Europe. Can the EU solidify itself as a true geopolitical power?
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October 2024:Based on their article Unpolitics: The Role of Populist Governments in EU Decision-Making (Politics and Governance, 2024), Profs. Ariadna Ripoll Servent and Natascha Zaun explain “unpolitics”—a populist strategy that rejects compromise to rally domestic voters.
Using refugee distribution as a case study, they explore how populist governments often prioritize vote-seeking over consensus-building, and where this strategy is most likely to emerge. The conversation also delves into how unpolitics challenges EU decision-making and reshapes populist-citizen dynamics. Listen now to understand the evolving strategies of populist actors and their implications for EU governance.
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November 2024: Drawing on her article Chasing gender equality norms: the robustness of sexual and reproductive health and rights, co-authored with Diego Badell (Sage Journals, 2022), Prof. Esther Barbé explores the EU’s evolving gender agenda.
From the 1957 Treaty of Rome to today’s gender strategies, she traces how the EU has shifted from focusing on equal pay to promoting gender equality as a tool for growth, inclusion, and violence prevention. We discuss global milestones like CEDAW, anti-gender movements, and how the EU can safeguard progress ahead of its 2025 Gender Strategy. Listen now for a critical perspective on gender, power, and policy in Europe.
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December 2024: This episode features Prof. Daphne Halikiopoulou, discussing right-wing populism in Europe based on her article with Prof. Tim Vlandas, Understanding right‐wing populism and what to do about it? (Wiley IPPR Progressive Review, 2022).
We examine the roots of right-wing populism—from economic insecurity to cultural backlash—and how national histories shape its spread. The discussion highlights key regional patterns and the factors fueling populist party success. Listen now to explore current responses to right-wing populism and the broader challenges facing liberal democracy in Europe.
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January 2025: Based on her article Friend Zone Forever? The Essence of and Justifications for the EU's Decision-Making Autonomy? (JCMS, 2023), Prof. Marja-Liisa Öberg analyzes the EU’s strategic stance toward third countries.
We discuss how the EU maintains autonomy in law and policy while managing close relationships with external partners. The conversation explores legal safeguards, external influence, and the balance between cooperation and independence. Tune in to better understand the EU’s “friend zone” dilemma and how it navigates complex global interactions.

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February 2025:Prof. Andrea Ribeiro Hoffmann joins us to discuss regional climate governance in Latin America, based on the book Climate Change in Regional Perspective (Springer Nature, 2024), co-edited with Profs. Paula Sandrin and Yannis E. Doukas.
We examine why MERCOSUR and UNASUR struggle to advance climate action, the role of political transitions, and how global frameworks like the Paris Agreement intersect with regional efforts. The episode also reflects on COP29 outcomes and anticipates COP30 in Brazil, including civil society engagement and the future of the EU-MERCOSUR deal. Listen now for insights into Latin America’s climate diplomacy.
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March 2025: This episode features Prof. Veronica Anghel on the geopolitics of EU enlargement, drawing on two recent articles co-authored with Prof. Erik Jones: Three Lessons from the 2004 'Big Bang' Enlargement (Politics and Governance, 2024) and The Geopolitics of EU Enlargement: From Club to Commons (Survival, 2024).
We examine enlargement as a strategic tool for peace, how Russia’s actions influence accession candidates like Ukraine and Moldova, and the delicate balance between security imperatives and democratic reform. Recorded just before the 2025 U.S. presidential transition, the discussion also considers transatlantic shifts and the importance of academic-policy-civil society collaboration. Listen now for a timely exploration of how global dynamics are reshaping the future of the EU.
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April 2025: In this episode, Gisela Hernández discusses the future of EU rule of law enforcement, drawing on two recent articles co-authored with Prof. Carlos Closa: Turning assertive? EU rule of law enforcement in the aftermath of the war in Ukraine (West European Politics, 2023) and Unravelling National Governments’ Positions on EU Rule of Law Enforcement (Journal of European Public Policy, 2025).
We explore how the war in Ukraine, domestic politics, and ideological divides are reshaping EU democracy. The conversation covers Hungary’s resistance to enforcement, the influence of party politics, and how shifting geopolitical dynamics affect compliance and EU unity. Listen now for a deep dive into the political and institutional challenges facing the EU’s rule of law agenda.

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May 2025: In this episode, Prof. Elaine Fahey talks to the EU-VALUES Network about the fast-evolving landscape of EU–US cybersecurity law and policy, based on her research The evolution of EU–US cybersecurity law and policy: on drivers of convergence’ (Journal of European Integration, 2024) and Democratic Leadership through Transatlantic Cooperation for Trade and Technology Reforms through the EU-US TTC Model (Constitutionalism and Transnational Governance Failures, 2024).
From shifting priorities in digital security to transatlantic tensions and cooperation, we discuss how global governance is being reshaped by technological threats, and by the political responses they provoke.
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June 2025: This episode features Prof. Meltem Müftüler-Baç, drawing on her recent paper A Fragile Relationship: Turkey and the European Union Moving Beyond Membership with External Differentiated Integration (2024).
We unpack the evolving and often tense dynamics shaping Turkey’s unique relationship with the EU beyond the traditional membership framework. The conversation explores what “external differentiated integration” means in practice, how Turkey’s selective adoption of EU rules tests European values, and the EU’s attempts to foster reform despite political deadlock. We also examine the role of trade in sustaining ties, compare Turkey’s path with other non-member states, and consider the prospects of this model as a long-term solution.
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July 2025: This episode features Sevda Kilicalp and Nils Luyten from PHILEA: The Philanthropy Europe Association, discussing how democracy in Europe is shifting—and what funders can do to strengthen it. Drawing on insights from their new 2025 Democracy Briefer for Funders and the PHILEA Democracy Network’s work across the EU, they unpack how democratic erosion often unfolds through quiet, legal changes rather than dramatic events.
The conversation explores why philanthropy is essential for protecting civic space, the emotional and socio-economic roots of polarisation, and the loss of trust among younger generations in democratic institutions. We also delve into the challenge of building shared narratives amid Europe’s increasingly fragmented media and political landscape.
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August 2025: In this episode, Professor Radu Mares from the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights at Lund University unpacks the global implications of the European Green Deal — one of the EU’s most ambitious and transformative policy experiments.
Drawing from his conference paper “Is the EU Green Deal a Regulatory Revolution?”, presented at the EU-VALUES International Conference 2025, Radu explores how the EU may be reshaping global supply chain governance and what this means for fairness, climate ambition, and the Global South.
Listen to understand how the Green Deal operates as a potential “regulatory revolution,” what a “layered smart mix” of EU policies looks like in practice, and how the bloc’s climate leadership could redefine global trade, regulation, and sustainability.
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September 2025: In this episode, Mansah Amoah from the University of Pretoria examines one of the most pressing and controversial aspects of EU foreign policy — the externalisation of European borders.
Drawing on her doctoral research in law and human rights, Mansah explores how the EU collaborates with African states to manage migration through funding, training, and security cooperation, and what these partnerships mean for governance, accountability, and the rights of migrants.
Listen to learn more about how EU–Africa migration agreements are structured, the human rights consequences of externalised border control, and what pathways to accountability and reform might look like in the EU’s evolving migration governance.
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October 2025: Dr. Berk Esen, Associate Professor of Political Science at Sabancı University, explores one of the most urgent questions facing Europe today - how European values endure amid accelerating democratic backsliding.
Drawing on his research on party politics, authoritarianism, and democratic erosion, Berk examines how democracy is evolving in Turkey, what parallels and divergences can be seen in the United States, and how Europe’s engagement with countries like Turkey, Hungary, and Serbia reveals ongoing tensions between strategic interests and democratic principles.
For more information and resources - check out the full episode description.
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1st Episode, August 2024: In this special pilot episode, Prof. Jacint Jordana introduces the EU-Values Network, offering an inside look at its mission, development, and future vision.
We explore the network’s origins, the core themes it addresses, including democracy, rule of law, and fundamental rights, and how it responds to the EU’s evolving challenges. Prof. Jordana also highlights the network’s diverse membership across disciplines and countries, and its commitment to fostering collaboration between scholars, institutions, and policymakers. Listen now to learn how the EU-Values Network connects research and practice in shaping the EU’s democratic future.
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