The politics, polity and policy of the Russia-Ukraine war, EPS

Abstract

Russia’s attack on Ukraine at the end of February 2022 is probably the most major war in decades on the European soil. Years of peace in the Old Continent enjoyed by generations of Europeans have been shattered by the dramatic images of destruction and death from Bucha, Mariupol, Kharkiv. Such images have become sadly familiar to people all around the globe since February 2022. As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues to develop, International Relations (IR) specialists seek to advance knowledge about the situation, to analyse the causes and likely solutions and scenarios of the conflict. Now more than ever, the paradigms of IR, such as realism, or liberalism, are utilised to understand the crisis. Besides the IR-related aspects, however, this dramatic event has sparked conversations and research questions about other political, social, and economic consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war, with a particular focus on Europe. Just to name a few, refugees flow from Ukraine; the increase of military expenditure in Europe; the effects of the EU’s enlargement and prospects of further Eastward expansion; and the impact of the crisis on European integration. Our panel develops along the three constitutive dimensions of politics, policy, and polity, that commonly set boundaries among several fields of specialisation of political science. The politics of the crisis: How did the Ukraine crisis affect actors, institutions, and processes of political systems? For instance, the crisis might strain the relationship between executive and legislative powers, or trigger new dynamics between government and opposition parties on specific issues like immigration, energy policy or military expenditure. Shifting to public opinion, studies on political attitudes can examine the politicisation of the crisis, perhaps driven by ideological factors, partisanship, and beliefs (e.g., conspiracy theories), and the use of narratives, or frames. Moreover, the crisis might impact other attitudes including those on solidarity across Europe. In particular, the roundtable will explore public attitudes from both sides of the conflict, by providing insights on both European and Russian opinions. The policy(ies) of the crisis: Which policies might states adopt to address the consequences of the Ukraine crisis? For instance, which migration policies will be undertaken to manage the flow of refugees? Will there be coordination between the EU and its member states, even burden-sharing and solidarity to address the crisis, or will each country have a tendency to operate as a free-rider? The polity of the crisis: The crisis will inevitably have effects on the process of European integration. What does the crisis tell us about the evaluation of Eastern enlargement? And what are the prospects for further enlargement towards the East? Does the crisis represent a turning point towards the creation of an EU-wide polity community, or will it end up with the restoration of national sovereignties? The roundtable will address these research questions, thanks to contributions from leading scholars. The discussion will encourage stimulating and thought-provoking questions, applying apolitical science perspective to the analyses of the unfolding events in Ukraine.