Special Round Table: Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM) after 70 years

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A special Round Table in the framework of  

The annivaersary event series “70 Years of the IDM – Locating the Future” 

and the Annual Conference of the Romanian Centre for Russian Studies:

“20 Months After the Russian Invasion in Ukraine.  What Has Been Done, What Needs to Be Done. Where Is the End?”

(9-11 November 2023, Bucharest) 

 

Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe  

(Institut für den Donauraum und Mitteleuropa – IDM Vienna)  

after 70 years. 

 

Chair: Sebastian Schäffer  

Discussants: Prof. Dr. Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu, Dr. Anatoliy Kruglashov, Prof. Dr. Aleksander Etkind (online), Dr. Iver B. Neumann, Dr. Armand Goșu, Prof. Dr. Radu Carp. 

Main topics: the EU enlargement and integration, conditions for a good neighbourhood relationship, and the development of democracy and multilateralism, all of them within the broader context of the Russian aggression in Ukraine.  

Further Information:  

Bucharest Conference Program pdf

IDM Short Insights 29: EU Elections 2024: Which path will Europe choose?

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In 2024 the citizens of the EU will vote in the European Parliament Elections. At the moment, polls still indicate a majority for the traditional centre-right, centre-left coalition of EPP, S&D, and Renew Europe. In the newest IDM Short Insight Sophia Beiter explains how right-wing and Eurosceptic parties are expected to gain votes at the expense of centre parties. They are profiting from the worries and concerns in the population caused by the war in Ukraine, the Covid pandemic, inflation, the energy crisis and migration.

Transcript:

In 2024 the EU will vote. Behind me you can see the building of the European Parliament in Brussels. And from 6th to 9th June a new European Parliament will be elected. Since the last European elections in 2019, Europe has had to face lots of crises. Especially the covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine, which have deeply affected the whole of Europe. The energy crises and the inflation are causing concerns in the population, and are leading to distrust in national governments and the EU. A special Flash Eurobarometer survey from autumn 2023 shows that a majority of EU citizens are discontent with the overall course of the European Union. 39% of EU citizens think that things are going in the wrong direction in the EU currently, while only 26% think that things are going in the right direction. In some Central European countries these rather negative attitudes towards the EU are even more evident. In Austria 50% of the population are not satisfied with the situation of the EU. And in its neighbours, Slovakia and Hungary, this proportion rises to just over 50%. Far-right parties are using these sentiments, the economic uncertainty and the topic of migration for themselves. In the future they are expected to secure votes not only in national governments in Europe but also on EU level. For now, the polls still indicate a majority voting intention going towards a traditional centre-right, centre-left coalition of the European People’s Party, the Socialists and Democrats, and Renew Europe. However, polls also show that right-wing parties are making up ground at the expense of centre parties. The outcomes of the 2024 European Parliament elections will shape the political scene in the EU for the next 5 years. Therefore, already now these elections are greatly awaited not only here in Brussels, but in all member states. 

A Summary: The Schengen Area Enlargement: In Need of a Constructive Solution

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At the beginning of December, the Council of the European Union is expected to hold another vote on the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Area. Ahead of this, the IDM organized a high-level discussion on the future of the Schengen Area at its premises in Vienna, exploring the possibility of enlargement. The panel featured a selection of distinguished speakers: H.E. Daniel Glunčić, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia; H.E. Emil Hurezeanu, Ambassador of Romania; H.E. Desislava Naydenova-Gospodinova, Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria; Tom Snels, Head of Unit, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, Deputy Director-General in charge of Schengen & Internal Security, European Commission; and Georg Stillfried, Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Austria. 

The discussion addressed the issues surrounding Bulgaria’s and Romania’s accession to the Schengen Area in light of the recent successful example of Croatia. While Croatia was admitted to the Schengen area as of 1st January 2023, Romania and Bulgaria are still waiting to join. For nearly a year, Austria has maintained its veto on their accession, and there have also been concerns expressed by the Netherlands.  

One of the main reasons for Austria’s continued veto of the proposed Schengen enlargement is the multiple illegal external EU border crossings, which have put pressure on Austrian Schengen frontiers, as well as the issue of security. For example, three quarters of those arriving in Austria have not been registered before. Austria is not the only country that has concerns: It is worth noting that 11 member states have recently reinstated internal border controls. 

There was no consensus among panellists as to what extent the Schengen zone has become dysfunctional, whether the expansion should happen before or after it is fixed, or whether it should be adjusted if all EU member states join. While many countries criticize the functioning of the border-free area, the Schengen zone attracts over six million travellers in one year, and only around 0.05%, a small but tricky proportion, arrive illegally. 

Bulgaria and Romania have made significant progress in meeting the requirements for joining the Schengen Area. In view of this, accession is arguably a right, not a privilege. Moreover, the proposed enlargement is not merely a technical or symbolic issue but also has very practical implications, allowing students, workers and the transport sector to cross borders with considerably less delay, as well as reducing the pollution caused by long queues of vehicles at the borders.  

The Schengen Area is one of the greatest achievements of European integration. Bulgaria’s and Romania’s accession would further promote this integration within the EU, paving the way for an effective joint external border management. While the timeline for an expansion of Schengen remains to be decided, there is still hope that a positive decision could be made at EU level by the end of the year. H.E. Daniel Glunčić stressed the idea of solidarity and the importance of supporting Europe, channelling national identity into the European idea. 

These were some of the key points raised in the panel discussion “The Future of the Schengen Area: Exploring its Enlargement” held at the IDM in Vienna on 7th November 2023. The discussion was moderated by managing director Sebastian Schäffer. It was implemented within the project EUact2 “Towards Democratic and Inclusive Europe: EP Elections and Active Citizens Participation and Contribution” funded by the European Union. 

The event was recorded and can be watched here:

The Future of the Schengen Area: Exploring its Enlargement

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The Schengen area is one of the greatest achievements of European integration. But the area of free movement survives only when trust and solidarity prevail over conjunctural national interests among member states. While Croatia was admitted to the Schengen area as of 1st January 2023, Romania and Bulgaria – both meeting the requirements – are still waiting for their accession. The European Parliament and the overwhelming majority of member states repeatedly stressed the relevance of concluding the enlargement of the Schengen area by the end of 2023 and in her recent State of the European Union address, also President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the importance of Bulgaria and Romania joining the Schengen zone.  

This panel discussed the prospects for enlarging the Schengen zone after the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council, scheduled for October 2023. It discussed the impact of denying Schengen accession on the population of Bulgaria and Romania – especially on young people. Additionally, it examined the current challenges in the zone, such as the increased flows of migrants and refugees and border controls inside the zone.  

The discussion covered the following aspects: 

  • How does the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen zone contribute to strengthening, rather than weakening, the overall security framework in Europe? 
  • Between concerns about migration and a labour market relying consistently on Romanian and Bulgarian care workers – how can some member states’ veto be comprehended, and what could Bucharest and Sofia do on the diplomatic front to change the position of the blocking MS?  
  • Could, if it would be the case, another veto against the Schengen accession of Romania and Bulgaria fuel anti-European sentiments in the countries, especially among young voters? 

The goal of the event is to build and enhance engagement and participation of EU citizens and deepen knowledge and awareness about the EU among citizens. 

The discussion is implemented in a framework EUact2-“Towards Democratic and Inclusive Europe: EP Elections and Active Citizens Participation and Contribution” project that  aims to build a sustained level of citizens’ activism, especially among young people, so their voices are better represented in the European policymaking. It is funded by the European Union. 

 

Robert Fico Returns: Will Slovakia Become the New Hungary?

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Left-wing populist Robert Fico, who was removed from power in Slovakia in 2018 after corruption scandals, has returned to power and formed a coalition with leftist and nationalist parties, which could have significant implications for Central Europe and the European Union.

Read the whole article by Daniel Martínek and Péter Techet here.

Press release Danubius Awards 2023

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Federal Minister Polaschek: Researchers honoured as part of the Danubius Awards 2023  

Sub-heading: At the Danubius Awards 2023, researchers from the Danube region were acclaimed for their academic achievements.  

 On 19 October, researchers who have made outstanding contributions to the Danube Region were honoured at the Danubius Awards 2023.  

The “Danubius Award 2023” went to Prof. Andreas H. Farnleitner. Dr Marco Beaumont was presented with the “Danubius Mid-Career Award 2023”. In addition, 14 young scientists from the Danube Region were granted with the “Danubius Young Scientist Awards”.  

Martin Polaschek, Federal Minister for Education, Science and Research, congratulated the award winners and emphasized the great relevance of excellent scientific research for the academic hub of Austria and the Danube Region.  

“The award winners impressively demonstrate the fundamental contribution of science to the preservation of the Danube region as a living and economic area, and to the development of solutions in terms of sustainability. I congratulate Prof. Farnleitner and Dr Beaumont very warmly on their well-deserved award and thank them for their academic commitment,” said the Federal Minister. “In addition, I am pleased that we have awarded the Danubius Young Scientist Awards for the tenth time this year, thus contributing to the increased visibility of the excellent talents in the region. I warmly congratulate all the awardees on their success. With their outstanding performance, they are taking our research and science hub a big step further.” 

The “Danubius Award” was established in 2011 to commend individuals who have dealt with the Danube region in an outstanding way through their academic work or creations. This year’s award winner, Prof. Farnleitner, focuses on water quality and health, specifically on hazard and risk assessment and the management of microbiological contaminants in water. By developing and applying new genetic analytical tools for the source detection of faecal pollution and pathogens in water, he contributes to the fundamental understanding of water quality along the entire Danube and its catchment area. Farnleitner is an appointed professor of microbiology and molecular diagnostics at the Vienna University of Technology and also holds the chair of microbiological diagnostics at Karl Landsteiner Private University. 

Dr Beaumont, who received the “Danubius Mid-Career Award 2023”, dedicates his research to the utilization of biomass waste streams and the development of sustainable chemical processes for the modification of biopolymers. His work contributes to the development of local biorefinery concepts, using aquatic plants from the Danube region as feedstocks to support the development of a future biobased economy in this region. Beaumont works at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, where he is part of the Institute of Chemistry of Renewable Resources and leads the research group “Chemistry of Renewable Nanomaterials”. 

 

Award categories and selection   

The “Danubius Award” is awarded annually, with achievements in the humanities, cultural and social sciences and achievements in the life sciences (2023) recognized on an alternate basis. The prize is endowed with € 5,000. 

The “Danubius Mid-Career Award” is endowed with € 2,200 and has been awarded since 2017 to researchers who have provided important impulses for the Danube region in their academic career within 15 years of completing their last formal degree. 

The two award winners were selected by an independent expert jury chaired by Prof. Martin Gerzabek (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna).   

The “Danubius Young Scientist Awards” have been presented since 2014. These accolades, which are open to all disciplines, highlight the scientific work and talent of young researchers and help ensure that up-and-coming scientists engage with the Danube and the Danube region in a variety of ways. The prizes for young researchers are endowed with € 1,350 per award winner. The selection is made by an international peer review.   

By granting these awards, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research contributes to the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) adopted by the European Council in 2011. 

Laureates of the “Danubius Young Scientist Awards”: 

Austria  Magdalena Baran-Szołtys 
Bosnia and Herzegovina  Mirza Buljubašić 
Bulgaria  Nevena Aleksieva 
Croatia  Stjepan Srhoj 
Czech Republic  Zdeněk Jakub 
Germany  Benedikt Bagemihl 
Hungary  Ádám Lovas-Kiss 
Moldova  Anastasia Ivanova 
Montenegro  Isidora Stanković 
Romania  Alexandra Cehan 
Serbia  Olja Šovljanski 
Slovakia  Dominika Oravkinová 
Slovenia  Tina Kegl 
Ukraine  Ivan Laktionov 

 

 

Poland after Elections: Malwina Talik at the Discussion of the IIP (Vienna)

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International Institute for Peace (Vienna) organized a panel discussion about the outcomes of the parliamentary in Poland and their impact on the regional, especially its relations with Ukraine and Belarus.

Our colleague Malwina Talik was among the speakers together with Maciej Kisilowski, Associate Professor of Law and Strategy, Central European University, Artyom Shraibman, Belarusian Political Analyst; Contributor to Carnegie Politika and Olena Khylko, Researcher at the Comenius University in Bratislava. The event was moderated by Marylia Hushcha, Researcher at the IIP.

More information here.

This may also be of interest:

Wohin steuert Polen?

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Polen hat ein neues Parlament gewählt, die Opposition um Donald Tusk könnte künftig regieren. Politologin Malwina Talik analysiert im Video, was das für die Zukunft des Landes heißt.

Lesen Sie den gesamten Artikel hier.

 

Melanie Jaindl receives award for „Best Master Thesis in Southeast European Studies”

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Photo credit: Südosteuropa Gesellschaft e.V.

For her master thesis with the title “Gender and Visual Securitization of Migrants along the Balkan Route”, Melanie Jaindl received the award for the best master thesis in Southeast European Studies from the Südosteuropa Gesellschaft e.V. The award ceremony took place in the framework of the International Academic Week at the Akademie für Politische Bildung in Tutzing, Germany.

Melanie finished her Joint Master’s Degree in Southeast European Studies at the University of Graz and University of Belgrade in March 2023. Her thesis investigates the visual portrayal of refugees and other migrants in Hungarian and Serbian online news media and conceptualizes how collective memory and the representation of intersectional identity markers (gender, race, age, etc.) led to securitization of people travelling the so-called Balkan Route in 2015.

Is the Polish Government’s Provocative Immigration Rhetoric Going To Work?

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Poland’s general elections are coming up this Sunday. The ruling Law and Justice party has added a referendum to the ballot, with questions intended to stoke fears about immigration. This may be a tactic Law and Justice is using to edge out its right-wing challenger, Konfederacja. But will it work?

Read the whole article here.