Public Talk: "The Quality of Democracy in the New EU Member States"

Dr. Andrew Roberts
15 April 2009 – 12pm

The EUCE held the first in a series of discussions on the Institutional and Cultural Transformations of the EU: From 6 to 27 Member States. Dr. Andrew Roberts of Northwestern University spoke on 15 April 2009 on “The Quality of Democracy in the New EU Member States.”

Roberts’ talk drew a very interesting crowd (approximately 25 people), particularly among graduate students, and sparked a lively discussion on the nature of politics in the newer EU member states, research design questions about how we measure and study phenomena such as the strength and quality of democracy, and the two-way impact of the EU’s fifth enlargement. The series will continue in the next academic year (2009-2010) with a closer look at Poland’s national identity and current social challenges as well as the special roles she plays in the EU as one of the largest of the newer members, with a population of 39 million. The date has yet to be determined, but the visiting speakers have been invited and will include a team of researchers led by Professor Zdzilaw Mach of the Centre for European Studies at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland.