From the Standing Group on the European Union.

This summer, three positions on the Steering Committee for the Standing Group on the European Union are due for renewal.

The outgoing committee members are Virginie Guiraudon, Jonathan Zeitlin and Natasha Wunsch. We thank them for their service on the committee the past years.

Candidates and voting

Members of the SGEU will be able to vote from 22 June 2024 for their preferred candidates to fill the vacancies, after the 12th Biennial Conference of the ECPR Standing Group on the European Union. The voting period will be open for one month. Please see below the biographies, pictures and pitches from the candidates. The pitches will also be available on the voting platform, accessible once open when group members are logged into their account.

Christian Freudlsperger

Christian Freudlsperger is Assistant Professor of Multilevel Politics at ETH Zurich and an affiliate research fellow at the Jacques Delors Centre of the Hertie School in Berlin. Christian’s research interests lie at the intersection of European integration, comparative federalism, and political development. His monograph “Trade Policy in Multilevel Government: Organizing Openness” (2020) was published with Oxford University Press.

Campaign pitch: SGEU has long been my favourite conference on the EU and I would be excited to contribute to its resounding success as a member of the standing group's steering committee. Besides continuing the outstanding work of the current committee members and supporting the organisation of future conferences, I aim to dedicate myself particularly to integrating the perspectives of early-career researchers into the SGEU community. To this end, I would like to ensure the continuation of current activities such as the early-career research grants and the dedicated workshops at the biannual conference, repeat successful past efforts such as the 2023 graduate conference for PhD researchers, and establish new offers such as a regular online workshop series dedicated to the publication process, grant writing, and soft-skills development.

Federica Zardo

Federica Zardo is Senior Researcher at the Danube University Krems in the Department for Migration and Globalisation and lecturer at the University of Vienna. She is a political scientist working at the intersection between International Relations and Public Policy, with an empirical focus on the EU´s external relations and the EU migration policy

Campaign pitch:As a senior researcher at the Department of Migration and Globalisation at the Danube University Krems and a lecturer at the University of Vienna, the ECPR Standing Group on the EU has significantly supported my academic and professional journey. From transitioning from the private sector to academia to refining my research focus and methods and expanding the scope of my studies, the ECPR SGEU has been an important influence.
I am the principal investigator of the MigFund project, exploring the governance of migration through EU funding mechanisms over the past two decades. My research also encompasses EU external action, combining International Relations and public policy perspectives. My work has been published in journals such as European Union Politics, Journal of European Public Policy, Mediterranean Politics, Geopolitics, and the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies.
I want to bring my experience in the ECPR Standing Group on the EU with two main reflections in mind. First, the “battle of narratives” we see in many EU policies highlights the essential role of academia in bridging the knowledge-policy gap. In my courses at the Danube University aimed at professionals, policymakers, and employees from the private sector as part of their Continuous Education, I have learned a lot from students, each one bringing a rich background and striving to translate the course content in their professional lives. This experience has also convinced me that avoiding the auto-isolation often seen in academia is crucial, a siloisation that often results from factors like grant applications and precarious job positions. The ECPR SGEU is an ideal environment to discuss these issues and achieve these objectives. Decentering the study of the EU—including its norms, temporalities, and geographies—is also a topic I hold dear. I believe that examining the interdependent nature of centres and peripheries rather than merely replacing established perspectives with new ones is a task that researchers must continually pursue. I am eager to see this approach further evolve within EU studies through the ECPR SGEU and to give back to a network that has given so much to me.

Adam Holesch

Adam Holesch is a post-doctoral fellow at the Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals (Spain) and the Project Manager of the EU Research and Education Network on Foreign Policy Issues: Values and Democracy (EU-VALUES). Adam analyses European politics by going up and down the ladder of multi-level governance, focusing on democratic backsliding, regionalism, global governance and identity. He has published, among others, in the journals West European Politics; Journal of European Integration; Political Research Exchange; Territory, Politics and Governance; Acta Politica; East European Politics and Global Governance.
Campaign pitch: The ECPR Standing Group on European Union is well-regarded for its exemplary organisation and the success of its activities, such as the biennial conference and early-career workshops. Building on this legacy and leveraging my expertise in EU projects, I propose the introduction of several targeted initiatives aimed at enhancing the policy impact of our work, fostering greater cooperation, and bolstering support for younger researchers. To bridge the gap between research and policymaking, Policy Impact Workshops could connect scholars with policymakers, engaging stakeholders from EU institutions, think tanks, and NGOs to translate academic insights into actionable policy recommendations. Simultaneously, Scenario Planning Workshops could employ advanced scenario planning techniques to enable researchers and policymakers to systematically explore and prepare for potential future developments within the EU. Further enhancing collaboration within the ECPR, Inter SG-Groups Workshops could bring together experts from various standing  roups. One example could involve collaboration between the SGEU and SG Identity, focusing on workshops themed around “Identity in EU”. Additionally, the Annual Young Researchers’ Award could promote innovation and recognize scholarly excellence, supporting promising young scholars. This award could be integrated into our biennial conferences and summer schools, marking a highlight of our educational activities.

Petia Kostadinova

Petia Kostadinova is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago. One stream of her research focuses on the policy commitments made by political parties, voters’ perceptions of such commitments, and the institutional mechanisms that allow parties to act on those commitments once in office. Prof. Kostadinova has published such research on the EU, Bulgaria, and the United States. Additionally, she has conducted research on the democratic processes within the EU, including accountability mechanisms through the Office of the European Ombudsman, the agenda-setting role of the European Commission, the interaction between the Commission and the European Parliament, and the ability of national-level government members to pursue their policies through the EU. Prof. Kostadinova’s most recent project explores when and how processes and institutions at the EU level are utilized by political leaders elected at the subnational levels of EU members states, to pursue the interests of territorial units, when those differ from that of the national government of the day.
Campaign pitch: If elected, Prof. Kostadinova would like to be involved in helping organize monthly online seminars or workshops for early researchers, related to the European Union. She will be able to contribute to these activities through her extensive professional connections both across the European Union, including the former communist countries, and in the United States 

From the Standing Group on the European Union.

We are pleased to announce a call for papers for vacancies at the Early Career SGEU Workshop entitled 'Western Fatigue’ and the Politics of European Support for Ukraine, taking place on 18 June at Universidade NOVA in Lisbon/Portugal.

This workshop is tailored for emerging scholars at the beginning of their academic careers, including advanced PhD students, Postdocs, and Assistant or Associate Professors. It will feature in-depth discussions based on a number of pre-circulated papers.

Our objective is to delve into the politics of the EU's response to Ukraine two years post-invasion. While a political consensus was initially established, it is crucial now to evaluate its strength in the face of recent challenges. With the Kremlin counting on ‘Western fatigue’ to perpetuate the conflict and weaken European resolve, the politics and politicization of the issue have significant strategic consequences.

We are particularly interested in exploring the following areas: energy issues, corruption, Ukrainian EU membership and shifts in public opinion within the EU.

The SGEU is generously supporting the participants of this workshop by providing return flights (max. EUR 250) and one night’s hotel accommodation (max. EUR 100).

In line with our thematic focus, we promote diversity by actively inviting scholars from Central and Eastern Europe and ensuring balanced representation of both female and male academics.

► If you are interested in this opportunity, please submit your 300-word abstract, a short biography, and a short motivation letter to Adam Holesch at aholesch@ibei.org by 29 February 2024.

Workshop Description

The European Union (EU) has offered both financial and military assistance to Kyiv since the full-scale invasion by Russia in 2022, pledging ongoing support for the war-torn country. The scale and ambition of the EU’s response has made it a major player in the conflict, enabled by a high degree of consensus between and within the member states.

Yet, cracks have appeared in the EU (and Western) façade in recent months as the ongoing conflict has caused numerous casualties on both sides, reaching hundreds of thousands. Despite a summer 2023 counter-offensive that failed to bring the anticipated decisive shift in favor of Ukraine, the frontline appears to have stabilized, and the costs for the West are rising. Giorgia Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister, was among the first to express concerns about war fatigue. On the other hand, Putin supporters, such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, have strengthened their anti-Ukraine stance, threatening to block support for Ukraine in the European Council. Meanwhile, the shadow of a second Trump presidency in 2024 looms over European efforts.

These episodes speak to the challenges of maintaining a consistent and coherent EU/Western line over a sustained period of time and in the face of potentially divergent political and electoral incentives. With the Kremlin banking on ‘Western fatigue’ and seeking to extend the conflict to drive down European resolve, questions of politics and politicization take on significant strategic implications.

This workshop aims to explore the politics of the EU response to Ukraine two years after the invasion. Much time has lapsed since the initial context in which an enabling political consensus was built, yet now is the time to assess how robust this is in light of recent challenges. The workshop aims to understand the risk and impact of ‘Western fatigue’ by tackling head-in key research questions, including:

1. What are the positions of populist, Eurosceptic, and other challenger parties on the conflict in Ukraine? Have these positions changed since the invasion, and do they pose a threat to the common European response?
2. How does the politics of the Ukraine War differ across different political systems and strategic cultures? How did it change European narratives?
3. Did the full-scale Russian invasion bring about altered enlargement dynamics in the European neighbourhood, and if so, what factors contribute to these changes?
4.  How does the interaction of ideology, government-opposition dynamics and electoral politics influence the politics of the Ukraine War?
5. How have EU leaders actively sought to maintain cohesion amidst Russian efforts to break apart the EU/Western position?
6. To what extent does the conflict remain a depoliticized site?
7. Where politicization is observed, is the focus on the conflict itself, on divergent strategies, or on the frameworks (e.g. EU, NATO, national) countries choose to work through?

Organisers

• Adam Holesch, Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals (IBEI), Barcelona
• Benjamin Martill, University of Edinburgh
• Monika Sus, Hertie School, Berlin & Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw

From the Standing Group on the European Union.

Call for papers – ECPR SGEU Pre-Conference Workshop on Representation and Candidacy in the 2024 European Parliament Elections

Convened by William Daniel (University of Nottingham) and Andrea Aldrich (Yale University)

Tuesday 18 June 2024 – Lisbon, Portugal

The 2024 European Parliament elections will provide a key moment for direct citizen input into the EU’s democratic representation, as well as form the political balance that will need to be navigated in a key EU policymaking institution for the next half-decade. What does the ‘face’ of the institution tell us about the nature of representation in the European Union? How does representation play into the selection and election of MEPs? How are diverse gender, sexual, religious, ethnic, and social minorities represented in the European elections? Does this representation vary on a geographic or ideological basis? How have the dynamics of European representation changed over time? How are they covered in the media or engaged with by candidates as part of their campaigning? 

Workshop details

The conveners invite paper proposals from junior scholars and Early Career Researchers (i.e., advanced PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and untenured lecturers/assistant professors) to submit work related to the topic for a one-day, pre-conference workshop. Workshop participants must be available to attend the full-day workshop on 18 June 2024. 

Papers may be either scheduled for presentation at the main SGEU conference or may be separate projects.

The format will offer a focused workshop for participants to present and receive feedback on their work from invited senior scholars in the field, similar to a condensed version of the ECPR Joint Sessions. A potential aim of the pre-conference workshop is to assemble a special journal issue on the workshop topic for publication in a leading European studies journal. 

Funding available

Selected workshop participants will be provided with funding to offset the costs of travel to Lisbon, as well as lodging for the night prior to the workshop. Complete information on funding availability will be confirmed with selected participants. 

Submission details

In order to be considered, please send a paper proposal, including title and an abstract of no more than 300 words to William Daniel (william.daniel@nottingham.ac.uk) by Monday, 19 February 2024. Selected participants will be notified by Monday, 26 February.