Approved panels

"Is there a specific Central European Approach to European Integration?"
conveners: Karin Liebhart (University of Vienna/University of Innsbruck) and Anton Pelinka (Central European University)

Abstract:

The transformation process in the CEE countries had a double meaning: democratization of the political systems and liberation from foreign dominance. The “Westernization” in the form of NATO and EU membership was (and is) perceived in an ambivalent sense: as a guarantee of the internal freedoms, established by liberal democracy; and as a guarantee of external freedom in the form of national sovereignty.

As EU membership includes the surrender of some elements of national sovereignty, this element of European integration contradicts the expectation that the transformation of 1989/90 was a return to fully sovereign statehood in the traditional understanding. This at least latent contradiction resulted in the sceptical approach to the EU’s (further) federalization, an understanding some Central European governments expressed in the European Convention and in the ratification process of the Lisbon Treaty. After having shaken off foreign dominance – why should the new democracies accept the dependence from another centre? Vaclav Klaus’s warning that the EU’s supranational character would lead to a second “Brezhnev Doctrine” has to be seen in this context. The ambivalence between the overwhelming acceptance of becoming part of “Europe” and the importance given to the newly re-won national sovereignty creates a specific scepticism regarding any future deepening of the Union.  

The panel will consist of some case studies as well as of one or two more general papers dealing with the specificities of the attitudes found in Central European societies and politics.

convener: Thilo Bodenstein (Central European University)

Abstract:

The Lisbon Treaty has created a legal basis for humanitarian aid and has reaffirmed poverty eradication as the primary objective of the European Union’s development policy. At the same time, the Lisbon Treaty created the European External Action Service (EEAS), which will share responsibility for the first three programming stages with DG Development (EDF and DCI) and DG Enlargement/Neighbourhood (ENPI). The question must be asked how these changes will impact the efficiency and effectiveness of the EU’s development policy. The panel welcomes contributions that focus on the risks and opportunities of including development policy under the EEAS’ mandate, whether the neighbourhood policy fits in, the need to re-open the European consensus on development, the outlook of development financing, the future of the ACP relationship, and the relations with the BRICs in developing countries.

convener: Rafael Riedel (University of Oslo)

Abstract:

The main aim of the panel is to bring together scholars who will contribute to the better understanding of the post-enlargement (2004/2007) EUropeanisation. It will seek to answer among others such vitally important questions as: What is the transformative impact of the European integration processes after accession? How effective is the conditionality mechanism on obtaining a full EU membership? What are the specifics of the internal and external dimension of EUropeanisation in the new treaty regime context? What are the prospects for change and continuity as regards the EUropeanisation phenomena?

convener: Mauro Calise (University of Naples Federico II)

Abstract:

For the last twenty years Italy's political system has moved toward a presidential model. That is, the political actors and game rules typical of a presidential system are becoming more evident and influential. Similar to other institutional change processes, such transformation has happened in incremental fashion, often with no official acknowledgment and, more importantly, lacking any organic constitutional reform. The concept of presidentialization enables a description and interpretion of the empirical dynamics in a constitutional system both by looking through (and beyond) formal transformations and by isolating those indicators needed to measure changes in current political life.
The panel welcomes papers which aim at analyzing the transformation of Italy's political system in relation to the on-going presidentialization process through the study of:

a) the Prime Minister's strengthening within his own cabinet, with respect to other government members and to the institutional and regulatory resources at his disposal;

b) the reinforcement of leadership positions - at both national and local levels - within competing parties;

c) changes in traditional and digital media configuration, particularly regarding the role played by opinion polls. Contributions devoted to considering the Italian case from a comparative perspective will also  be accepted.

convener: Sara Svensson (Central European University)

Abstract:

Integration across state borders has characterized the history of post-WWII Europe. From this highly complex and multi-faceted process, cross-border co-operation involving sub-national entities and/or other actors has become the focus of attention of many social scientists. Whether local cross-border co-operation represents a new form of governance at the internal and external borders of Europe is the key question to be addressed. This panel attempts to investigate the diverse forms of emerging governance structures at various European locations, thus it aims to offer a detailed and up-to-date review of the field.
The first paper, entitled “Governance in border regions: the role of EU funding and managing structures”, discusses the function performed by the administrative bodies set up to oversee the distribution of funds directed towards cross-border cooperation through the case of the Austrian-Hungarian Cross-border Cooperation Programme. The paper is presented by Dr. Yvonne Brodda, who holds a PhD in Regional Studies from Hochschule Vechta, where she defended her dissertation "New Regional Development Concepts for Rural Peripheries Experiences from three European Case studies: Western Isles and Skye & Lochhals, Scotland, Jamtland, Sweden and Eisenwurzen, Austria” in 2007. Dr Yvonne Brodda is currently Programme and Communications Manager at the Joint Technical Secretariat for the Cross-border Cooperation program for Austria and Hungary. The paper therefore draws on own experiences, as well as a solid theoretical understanding of the larger field of Regional Studies to which borderlands studies is closely related.
The second paper consists of an in-depth comparative study of three different institutionalized cross-border cooperation structures within one single county, the Komárom-Esztergom county located on the Hungarian-Slovak border. Entitled “Reflecting diversity:  The diverging paths of Euroregions” the paper argues that the frequently used term “Euroregion” is increasingly misleading, as these organizations represent different ambitions when it comes to the form and level of policy involvement. The paper is co-authored by Gergő Medve-Bálint and Sara Svensson, who in a paper (forthcoming, 2012) have relied on the same data to investigate why some local governments join Euroregions and others do not. Medve-Bálint is a researcher with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and PhD Candidate at the Department of International Relations and European Studies at Central European University. Svensson is a PhD Candidate at the Department of Public Policy at Central European University. She has several years of experience in research management and has also worked as a journalist.
The third paper is the result of a larger research project involving various European borderlands, but focuses on the Finnish-Russian borderlands. The paper is entitled “Civil Society Organisations as Drivers of Cross-Border Cooperation: on Whose Terms, for Which Purposes?” and is written by Andrey Demidov, probationary PhD student at the CEU Doctoral School, Public Policy track. He has two degrees: a BA in Political Science from Petrozavodsk State University (2004) in Russia and an MPhil in Political Science from Saint-Petersburg State University (2008). Andrey has also worked as a part-time lecturer at the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences at his home university and as a project manager for EU-funded educational and research projects.

convener: Istvan Hegedus (Hungarian Europe Society)

Abstract:

Should we throw out former integration theories after the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty? In this panel we consider the relevance of essential mainstream academic ideas on the European Union, such as realist and liberal intergovernmentalism, rationalist and constructivist supranationalism as well as the conceptualisation of differentiated integration and their practical impacts on the future of the union. The institutional setting and the decision-making processes inside the European Union will also be also investigated following the completion of the long constitutional period. This involves such a phenomenon as the Europeanization of sub-national governance in a multi-level system. Regarding European governance, the behaviour of new and old European political actors as well as the role of political parties, and, more generally, the significance of partisanship will also be debated. The panel also includes theoretical analysis of policy areas, looking especially at the foreign policy activities of the EU. We also welcome papers dealing with the alleged problems of democracy deficit and the development of a European Public Sphere.

conveners: Gabriella Ilonszki (Corvinus University of Budapest) and Zoltán Horváth (Budapest College of Management)

Abstract:

“There is no doubt that the European Council has been a positive instrument of change. … But it is also clear that the European Council has gained power and political space at the expense of the original Community institutions. Quite obviously the Commission is no longer today the main initiator of the integration process, as it was in the early years of the Community. The Council of Ministers is no longer the ultimate decision taker on most important issues. Those roles have been in practice taken over by the European Council” (EPC – Egmont Institute – CEPS, 2010)
The SBH team presidency has been facing the difficult task of the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty. This Treaty has introduced significant changes in the relationships of the top EU institutions. With the increased weight for the European Council and its permanent president, the role left for the team/rotating presidencies has drastically diminished. A new kind of relationship has emerged between the Council and the Parliament in their legislative functions, as well as between the European Council and the Commission in their external activities due to the entry of the High Representative. The panel deals with the renewed top institutions – the European Council and the European Parliament – but opens up in its discussions also to the changes at the national level, such as the further Europeanization of institutions in the post-Lisbon Treaty era. It is a challenging issue whether after the establishment of the European Council as a legally separate organization the term institutional “triangle” can be applied or the term “quadrangle” has to be introduced for the power relations among the European Council, the Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament. At the national level it is interesting to investigate the converging and diverging tendencies of the member states’ institutions, first of all the parliaments and governments in the post-Lisbon Treaty era.
The panel invites papers on institutional actors both at the EU and national levels, and their interactions. At the EU level the focus is on the cooperation and competition of the top EU institutions – the European Council, the Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament –, at the national level on that of governments, parties and civic organizations in the EU context. Both theoretical and empirical papers as well as case studies and comparative papers are welcome.

conveners: Ilona Kovács Pálné (HAS Centre for Regional Studies)  and András Vértes (GKI Economic Research Co.)

Abstract:

"In the current period, Cohesion Policy has already been closely aligned with the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy. The link to the Europe 2020 strategy must be even stronger in the future." (Fifth report on economic, social and territorial cohesion). The European policy universe has undergone deep changes in the last years, such as its own “deepening” and “widening”. Namely the EU has tried to elaborate some new “union” – earlier “community” - policies, such as energy, climate change and knowledge triangle (higher education – research – innovation) on one side and it has extended its policy universe to new policy fields in justice and home affairs and in many other directions. As a result, the EU has designed a new strategic vision to renew the Lisbon Strategy for the next decade. The Europe 2020 Strategy has emerged as a strategic framework for all EU policies, supported by the cohesion/regional policies in the MLG spirit, therefore regionalization or regional development policy is very important in the next decade. It presupposes the Europeanization of the national public administration systems with their partnership structures. At the same time, enlargement continues to pose a challenge, when the ECE states are still in post-accession crisis, and Croatia is at the doorstep of the EU. The Europe 2020 Strategy has therefore been complemented by the bottom-up functional macro-regional strategies, such as the Danube Strategy, in order to also promote the pre-accession processes of the Western Balkan states and to facilitate the Eastern Partnership for the six Eastern European states by integrative balancing.

The panel addresses the main issue of how competition and cooperation between political actors shape the European and national policy arenas. It invites papers discussing various topics of the European policy universe, at the EU level on the strategic and coordinative policy-making functions of top institutions – the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament –, as well as at the national level, namely that of governments, parties and civic organizations. Both theoretical and empirical papers as well as case studies and comparative papers are welcome.

 

convener: Krisztina Arató (ELTE Faculty of Law / Civil Europe Association)

Abstract:

Twenty years have passed since the system changes in Central and Eastern Europe, which meant transition from (however soft) dictatorships to democracy, as well as from full state ownership to market economy. Our dream was, at the time, that these changes would lead us to societies where citizens are aware of their rights and their obligations, able to organize and express their interests and participate in their communities.

In terms of data, the number of NGOs and the picture of NGOs in the regions suggest that our societies are on the way to what we call "active citizenship". However, our research team wanted to look behind NGOs and find out the real embeddedness of these organizations. Our research carried out in Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania, based on empirical research (representative poll and qualitative tools such as focus groups and in-depth interviews) suggests that there is a certain discrepancy between NGOs and citizens: NGOs do not necessarily reflect on citizens` problems and citizens still do not necessarily rely on civil society tools to solve their problems.

Our research was funded by Trust for Civil Society in Central and Eastern Europe.

 

convener: Péter Balázs (Central European University)

Abstract:

The panel willl treat past and future issues regarding the Hungarian-Romanian political and cultural relationship, especially as regards the manner in which the two deal with their shared history. The significance of this relationship is heightened by the importance of EU minority policy. Past and present challenges will be presented and explored, which may serve as examples for extra-European or EU candidate countries in dealing with the ghosts of the past.

"Comparing Political Communication in European Union Countries"

conveners: Rita Figueiras (Catholic University of Portugal) and Norbert Merkovity (University of Szeged)

Abstract:

In recent years, public cynicism concerning politics has increased, reflecting decreasing levels of trust in political institutions and in holders of public office. To the public’s eye, national and European political institutions seem to be increasingly less efficient than new centers of power emerging outside the political system, where the media stand out. The emergence of multiple non-parties` political agents has led to the decreased predominance of political parties as political culture producers, at the same time this has raised the level of complexity regarding political dispute.

Political Communication culture is a product of each country’s electoral system, party structure, political culture, and the media system. Some of these pre-conditions favor (post-)modern political communication strategies, while others translate into legal or cultural restrictions, inhibiting some trends from being adopted, both in and outside of electoral campaigning moments. European Union countries` historical, political, cultural, and media diversity have been differentially conditioning their political communication.

In this framework, this panel aims to acknowledge, reflect on, debate and compare political communication in European Union countries. This panel seeks theoretical and practical contributions, namely comparative studies, and also to intertwine a set of diversified research projects, regarding analyzed cultural contexts, objects of analysis and methodological approaches.

convener: Andrey Shcherbovich (Russian Political Science Association)

Abstract:

The panel will discuss the following issues:

- How interdependent the realization and protection of the rights and freedoms of citizens is with the challenges of transformation of the political system in Europe.

- Public policy in the sphere of human rights: national and international dimensions.

- Political rights in the context of structural changes in the European Union.

- Human rights institutions in the system of civilian control.

- Conflicts in the institution of citizenship in Europe due to the transnationalization of European society.

- Human rights in Europe in the digital era: the contradictions caused by the freedom of speech and the right of access to information.

- Interpretation of human rights in the context of migration issues in Europe: the extent to which cultural aspects can be taken into account.

convener: dr. Antal Attila (ELTE Faculty of Law)

Abstract:

Az ember szerepét a környezeti romlás, vagy a klímaváltozás folyamatában napjainkban vitatni már nem lehet. A 21. századra  elodázhatatlanná vált azon politikai-jogi válaszok kidolgozása, melyek nem csupán beépítik a fenntartható fejlődési kutatások eredményeit a politikai-gazdasági döntéshozatali mechanizmusba, hanem ökológiai központú feltételeket dolgoznak ki a fenntarthatóság biztosításához.

Az Európai Unió (EU) élenjár a környezetpolitikai válaszok megfogalmazásában és alkalmazásában, ágazati politikáit egyre inkább áthatja az ökológiai szemlélet. A környezetpolitika szélesebb értelmezési keretet ad a politikai aktorok számára a környezetvédelem fogalmánál, hiszen képes összehangolni különböző szakpolitikai (energiapolitika, klímapolitika, közlekedéspolitika, szociálpolitika, iparpolitika, agrárpolitika stb.) döntéseket. Előremutatóbb és átláthatóbb struktúrákat határoz meg, amelynek következtében a jövőbeni folyamatok ökológiai és társadalmi hatásai a mainál jobban feltérképezhetők lesznek. Ennek tükrében fontos hangsúlyozni, hogy az EU aktív részese és fő donora a fejlesztési segélyezésnek, a fejlődő országok felzárkóztatásának, a klímatárgyalásoknak és a fenntartható fejlődés konferenciáknak.

Az EU olyan stratégiákat és terveket készít, melyek közép- és hosszútávon biztosítják a fenntartható fejlődés érvényesülését. Az elért eredmények ellenére ugyanakkor az érdekellentétek miatt sem közösségi szinten, sem a nemzetközi színtéren nem sikerül átütő sikereket elérnie az Egyesült Államok és az új nagyhatalmak, mint Kína és India politikai-gazdasági küzdelmének árnyékában. Az idő egyértelműen az EU ellen dolgozik.

A panel célja az, hogy rávilágítson az EU előtt álló környezeti és környezetpolitikai dilemmákra és azok lehetséges megoldásaira.

convener: Horváth Szilvia (ELTE Faculty of Law)

Abstract:

A panel az európai identitásformálódásnak és ezzel párhuzamosan a „másiktól” történő megkülönböztetésnek a politikai és politikaelméleti következményeire fókuszál. Különleges figyelmet szentel a valóságos és szimbolikus határvonásoknak, illetve az Európát teremtő értékek komplexitásának és politikumának, valamint az Európa-képek sokféleségének. Ennek keretében azzal számolunk, hogy „Európa” – illetve a potenciális „Európák” – konstruálásának mindig vannak politikai vonatkozásai, és megfordítva, Európa teremtése nem lehetséges teljességgel politikán kívüli formákban. Ezért különösen fontos, hogy számba vegyük a külső vagy belső megkülönböztetéseket, valamint a konfliktusok konstruktív, építő szerepét, de a demokratikus kultúrát és együttélést romboló képességét is.  A panelbe olyan előadásokat várunk, amelyek az európai egység és identitás, a konstitutív és politikai következményekkel járó megkülönböztetések, továbbá a – sokrétűen megnyilvánuló – európai értékek politikai szerepének elméleti igényű elemzésével lépnek fel; illetve nyitottak a kultúrakutatás, a retorika-, diskurzus- és a politikaelmélet kérdéseire, vagy eleve interdiszciplináris kérdésfelvetéssel dolgoznak.

convener: Paul Weith (Central European University)

Abstract:

Methodological individualism has been the central paradigm in the literature on public opinion and voting behavior to date. Nevertheless, attempts to carry out comparative research in a European setting generate the imperative to broaden this perspective. This panel aims to contribute to the field with papers that demonstrate, assess and evaluate the active intertwining of formal and informal institutions with aggregate-level determinants and individual level ones in explaining typical political scientific outcomes. The papers presented at the conference proceedings will cover a wide array of topics within the framework of new institutionalism and public opinion research. We will discuss the role of political institutions in shaping political and electoral behaviors, the mediation effects of political attitudes on the relationships between political outputs and institutional changes, and methodological challenges in the cross-national and comparative study of public opinion and electoral behavior.

We welcome applications on topics that highlight the need for cross-disciplinary, non-paradigmatic approaches to the study of public opinion research. Paper proposals employing mixed methods in order to overcome methodological difficulties of comparative research are especially encouraged.

convener: Dr. Lux Ágnes (ELTE Faculty of Law and Political Sciences)

Abstract:

A panel áttekintést ad az európai alapjogvédelem helyzetéről, fejlődéséről, kitérve az Európai Emberi Jogi Bíróság esetjogára, az Európai Unió alapjogvédelmének fejlődésére, az ombudsmani intézményre, mozgásterére hazánkban és az Európai Unióban, valamint az alkotmányosság és az emberi jogok védelmi garanciáira az Európai Unióban.