Schmidt Discusses French Elections at EU IDEA Conference
On April 21, 2022, Vivien Schmidt, Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration and Professor of International Relations and Political Science at the Pardee School, spoke at a conference on the European Union’s Integration and Differentiation for Effectiveness and Accountability (EU IDEA) project in Brussels, Belgium.
The conference, hosted by the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), explored the project’s results and discussed the theme of differentiation and integration among researchers from the EU IDEA consortium, composed of 15 EU and non-EU think tanks and universities, along with prominent EU representatives, practitioners, experts, researchers, and journalists.
Schmidt joined Herman van Rompuy, President Emeritus of the European Council (2009-2014), for a panel addressing “A differentiated Union in a complex world.” While van Rompuy discussed global issues, the clash of values in the world today, and how this affects the EU, Schmidt discussed the clash of ‘big ideas’ – neo-liberalism, populism, and progressivism – the critical elections in France that occurred on April 24, 2022, and their potential impact on Europe. She offered a pessimistic view of what would happen if Marine Le Pen were to win and implement her pledge to turn the EU into a ‘Europe of Nations,’ which down-graded human rights. She also offered an optimistic view if Macron were to win and is able to implement all of his visionary promises.
A recording of the panel can be viewed below.
Vivien Schmidt is a Professor of International Relations and Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies and was the first Director of BU’s Center for the Study of Europe, housed at the Pardee School. Schmidt’s research focuses on European political economy, institutions, democracy, and political theory—in particular on the importance of ideas and discourse in political analysis. Read more about Professor Schmidt on her faculty profile.