The 2019 European Parliament elections are predicted to be a crucial and transformational event in the history of the European Union. As the election approaches, leaders in Brussels are concerned by the expected surge of populist parties in the European Parliament. How could their rising influence in policy-making shape the European agenda? How will mainstream parties respond to high levels of current Euroscepticism? Will pro-European parties see heavy losses in their current majorities in Parliament?
These, and many more, questions will be discussed by the audience and four experts in the field. London-based Mary Honeyball MEP, for Labour, will reflect on her party and the S&D Alliance’s prospects against a growing tide of populism. Also joining the panel will be Georgina Wright, a senior researcher at the Institute for Government who will give her insight and assessment of the election ahead. The Dahrendorf Forum’s Dr. Benjamin Martill will be chairing the event and will lead the discussion throughout the evening.
This panel discussion is organised as a spinoff event of the 2019 Diplomacy Ball, financed by LSE IDEAS. The Diplomacy Ball, and three related events in collaboration with the UN, the Amnesty International and the Grimshaw LSESU Societies, aim to explore and scrutinise a common theme: 'Navigating International Affairs in an Age of Uncertainty'.
Nicola Chelotti (@chelotti_nicola) is Lecturer in Diplomacy and International Governance at Loughborough University. His research primarily concerns EU negotiations and policy processes while also covering the field of populism and political parties. He published a monograph on decision-making processes within EU foreign policy (Routledge, 2016). He will co-edit a Special Issue on “Power without influence? Explaining the impact of the European Parliament post-Lisbon”, forthcoming in Journal of European Integration (vol. 41, issue 3, Spring 2019). He is also a member of the ESRC-funded project on “28+ Perspective on Brexit” (under the programme UK in a Changing Europe).
Mary Honeyball (@maryhoneyball) entered the European Parliament in 2000, following three decades of involvement in Labour politics. Since becoming an MEP she has taken a special interest in women’s issues, and acts as the Labour spokesperson for women’s rights and gender equality. In addition, Ms Honeyball is Labour's spokesperson on the legal affairs committee and a member of the culture and education committee. Prior to becoming an MEP, Ms Honeyball worked in the charity and non-governmental sector.
Georgina Wright (@GeorginaEWright) is a senior researcher on the Brexit team at the Institute for Government where she focuses on the negotiations and the views from the 27 EU member states. Her research interests include Brexit, Franco-British relations and the future of the European Union. Prior to joining the Institute, she was a research associate at Chatham House. She has worked in the Directorate for Central and West Africa in DG DEVCO at the European Commission, and as a summer researcher at NATO. She has also given evidence to select committees in the House of Commons and House of Lords.
Benjamin Martill is a Postdoctoral Fellow on the Dahrendorf Forum, a joint initiative between the London School of Economics and the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin. At LSE Benjamin conducts research and teaching on European security, British foreign policy and Brexit. He is co-editor of the volume Brexit and Beyond: Rethinking the Futures of Europe (UCL Press, 2018) and his work has been published in Security Studies, International Politics, the Journal of Political Ideologies and the British Journal of Politics and International Relations.
LSE IDEAS (@lseideas) is LSE's foreign policy think tank. We connect academic knowledge of diplomacy and strategy with the people who use it.
Established in 1923, The Grimshaw Club has been the beating heart of international affairs at the London School of Economics Students' Union for nearly one hundred years.
Twitter hashtag for this event: #LSEEuropeanElections