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2019 FMA Visit to Romania
2019-06-02 - 2019-06-04
Dossier
List of Participants
Programme
Photos
Full report

The FMA Board member Brigitte Langenhagen led an FMA delegation composed of 11 former MEPs from seven EU countries (DE, ES, FR, IT, LU, NL, and UK) and different European political families (EPP-ED, Socialists, Liberals and Greens), that visited Romania from 03 to 04 June on the occasion of the Presidency of the Council of the EU. The FMA in co-operation with the Romanian Parliament set up a programme aimed at evaluating progress towards achievements of the EU Presidency. It included official meetings with Parliament, government as well as an open debate with university students and a visit to the Institute of Atomic Physics. One of the highlights of the visit was the meeting with representatives of the European Affairs Committees and the Foreign Affairs Committees from the Romanian Chamber of Deputies and the Romanian Senate at the premises of the Romanian Palace of Parliament. The primary subject of the dialogue featured the Romanian Presidency of the Council whose achievements and priorities were firstly presented, followed by an exchange of views on priorities and difficulties of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2019. Mr Bob van den Bos evaluated the morning sessions as follows:
“The morning sessions in the Parliament have been very valuable, especially concerning the Romanian Presidency. We became more aware of the concrete achievements of the Romanian Presidency and also of all the obstacles the Romanians had to face. We were impressed by their cooperation with the EU Institutions and with the national Parliaments, which was of great additional value to make the RO Presidency a success – despite all the problems they had to face, in particular the internal instability and internal conflicts, and of course Brexit and the EU-elections, which meant that the Presidency in fact was only a question of two or three month instead of six.”
Bob van den Bos
The Delegation also had the great honour to meet Constantin Mugur Isărescu, Governor of the National Bank of Romania, who not only organised a visit through the prestigious premises and National Bank’s museum but also invited the delegation to a meeting to discuss primarily Romania’s financial situation and adhesion to the European Central Bank. Robert Moreland describes the visit:
“The Governor took us on an interesting tour of the bank including some of the coins that had been used and their access to gold that has always been good. We then had a discussion with him where he outlined that Romania had had a strong banking history and was of course now preparing joining the Euro and the Central bank. He said there were some problems obviously but their growth rate has been good, also the debt had been low – the national debt has been 40% of the GDP, so they did fulfil some of the criteria. Their big problem was inflation that was higher than the average in Europe but they hoped to join the Euro in about 2024. He was very optimistic – indeed he used the word optimistic about the bank its management and so on forth.”
Robert Moreland
The National University of Political Studies and Public Administration – SNSPA, is one of the most prestigious Universities in Romania and most students will later on work in high ranked jobs or become politicians. The open debate organised together with one of the Vice-Rectos of the University allowed the delegation to get an in-depth insight on student’s opinions on the EU and the European Elections in Romania:
“The visit to the National School of Political Science and Public Administration (SNSPA) began with a greeting and presentation of the delegation by Mme Brigitte Langenhagen as head of the delegation. Afterwards, the director of the Centre dedicated a few words to the importance of the University as a training centre for future political leaders and senior officials, both Romanian and international. Mme Erna Hennicot-Schoepges reflected on the history of the European Union and the importance of universities in the construction process. This was followed by a very interesting debate with the students, who despite being in the examination period wanted to attend the meeting very motivated especially about the results of the last European elections and the increase in the presence of anti-European parties and whether this could block or paralyse progress in the policies of the Union. The environmental issue also came up in several questions and as well as their scepticism about the position of the Trump administration or the Brazilian president and the lack of commitments in pollution control. Finally, Mr. Jan-Willem Bertens appealed to the European spirit and the importance of young people in the process of European construction.” –
Teresa Domingo
A complete report on the visit will be published in the September Bulletin. Photos of the visit are available here.

CAFP Annual Meeting 2019
2019-06-01 - 2019-06-03 | Annual Meeting, Bruxelles, B-1047, Belgium
VISITING CANADA – 2 AND 3 JUNE 2019

Attending the annual general meeting pf the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians (CAFP) has reaffirmed my conviction that establishing collaborative relationships with other organisations whose objectives are broadly aligned with our own to exchange information, experiences, ideas and working methods conducive to innovation and to enhance the effectiveness of our actions, as one of the best investments we can make to ensure our association maintains its dynamism and moves forward with cohesion into the global reality of the world we live in.
It also reaffirmed my conviction concerning the important role that associations such as ours can play in advancing towards a better world: the knowledge, leadership, commitment and experience of the majority of former parliamentarians is an extremely valuable resource that should not be wasted.

The CAFP strives to improve democracy in the world. Some of its members, such as its former president, Léo Duguay, are true experts in this field.
The various scheduled events, were an opportunity to meet and talk with former MPs and senators from various parties, and all of whom agreed that their active participation in the association enables them to continue serving their country.
I was extremely warmly welcomed, and everyone I met was united by their interest in current affairs in the EU: I was mainly asked about the results of the recent European elections, the future of Brexit, the EU’s relations with the Trump administration and the situation in Catalonia. The current CAFP President, Dorothy Dobbie, with whom I had dinner the night before, gave me the opportunity to address the meeting.
The CAFP enjoys strong institutional support from the House of Commons and the Senate. We discussed the most topical issues for Canada with both speakers: The problems with the USA concerning the ratification of NAFTA, the ongoing crisis with China following the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the CFO of Huawei and daughter of its founder, on accusations of violating the sanctions against Iran, and the current situation in Quebec.
We also discussed the Arctic and indigenous communities, topics of particular interest for me. Canada is one of five countries with sovereignty over the Arctic, thus holding both the right to exploit its resources and the principal responsibility for maintaining its ecosystem. The Arctic represents 40% of Canada’s territory, and an integral part of Canada’s identity. It is home to 115 000 people, most of whom are indigenous and have difficulty accessing housing, education and health care, and, owing to living conditions in the region, in producing fresh food locally. The consequences of climate change in the Arctic are currently a source of both challenges and opportunities.
The indigenous population is growing four times more quickly than the rest of Canada’s population and indigenous languages are showing a strong resurgence.
The visit was extremely constructive and although some of their activities are very similar to ours – publishing the magazine Beyond the Hill, study visits, seminars, conferences, and regional meetings – I took a careful note of any elements that we could serve as a model for us too.
Lastly, a word of remembrance for a colleague and friend, Senator Pierre Nolin, with I worked for long hours in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, who died in 2015 as Speaker of the Senate. He was greatly appreciated by all.
Teresa Riera Madurell

ROMANIA- ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA UNIVERSITY OF IASI - Birgit DAIBER
2019-05-14 - 2019-05-17
Report

The University invited a former Member to participate in the 3rd International Conference on European Financial Regulation (EUFIRE). The attendees were academics, researchers, students, practitioners, policy makers, business and civil society representatives interested in the topic of EU financial regulation. The Conference was attended by our member Birgit Daiber. Here below you can read her report that was published on the September 2019 FMA Bulletin. The Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iasi is not only the easternmost university in the EU, it is also the oldest in Romania. It was founded in 1860, and many of its buildings date from before the First World War, when Romania was rich and could afford to be ostentatious. The 26000 young people who study here do so in a very special atmosphere. The university has not only a large number of halls of residence, restaurants, parks, libraries, secondhand street bookstalls (people still read in the old-fashioned way beside the large IT faculty) and a beautiful botanical garden, but also its own hotel for academic colleagues who come to visit. The university maintains an active international exchange programme and encourages its students to join the Erasmus Programme. The teachers say that 8000 of its students have already taken part since its inception. The 2-day campus seminar was organised by the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration as part of the university’s ‘Europe week’ and was coordinated by Professors Irina Bilan and Marius Apostoaie. Nearly 100 students took part. The overall theme of the seminar was European Monetary Union.

My presentation was about the history of monetary union, which was established as the sole, highly-specific project in the triad of monetary, economic and political union under the Maastricht Treaty. Of particular interest to the students were the fiscal regulations introduced during and after the financial crisis in order to stabilise the single currency. There was harsh criticism of the fact that the regulations remain severely underpowered and that the international fiscal situation is still in a critical state, particularly as a result of the enormous growth in shadow banking. There was a great deal of well-informed interest shown not only in monetary union but also in European democracy, with the European elections approaching.

So what is special about European democracy? Is it the fact that the European Parliament now has considerable power which, however, is in the form of co-decision rights, so that the Council of Ministers still holds the reins? Or that decisionmaking – including in Parliament – is always constrained by the need to compromise? How far did this Parliament have to come before there were direct elections, and how many long and bitter debates were there before it became what it is now (and the debates are by no means finished)? The lively discussion wound up with a move to convince the students that the unfinished nature of the EU as a construct and the fact that this Europe always was and still is a work in progress is precisely the reason why they should devote time and attention to it in large measure.
By Birgit Daiber

TURKEY- IZMIR UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS - Robert EVANS
2019-05-06 - 2019-05-08
The event had as its main theme “EU Environment and Climate Policy” and how the EU institutions work in practice and what factors shape EU’s decision-making (concrete cases, e.g. EP-Commission relations, EP-Council negotiations, party politics in the EP), or the EU’s environmental/climate politics, or EU-Turkey relations.
FMA Member Robert EVANS,participated in the event. It would be near impossible not to be impressed with Izmir. Situated in western Turkey on the shores of the Aegean Sea, Izmir takes its name from the Amazon Queen Smyrna. Today it is Turkey’s third largest city – after Istanbul and the capital Ankara. It is a young and dynamic place (almost half of its population of 4 million are under the age of 30) with a public transport system that works well including a fast-developing eighteen station metro. Historically, Izmir has been home to many different cultures and religions, from the Persians and Ancient Greeks, to the Romans and Ottomans.
Today, it is also home to the Izmir University of Economics (Izmir Ekonomi Üniversitesi) which was my destination in May on behalf of the Former Members of the European Parliament. Professor Dr. Alexander Bürgin had invited me to speak with his students about issues ranging from EU foreign policy and Turkey to the future of Europe after Brexit. Izmir University has some 8000 students and is part-housed in a former luxury hotel building!
Many of the university’s courses are conducted in English and almost all the students I met spoke the language fluently. The university has Erasmus Plus agreements with some 168 universities spread across 26 countries in addition to academic cooperation protocol with another 41 universities. My talk to Professor’s Bürgin’s PhD students was on EU governance and procedures. We discussed preparations for the 2019 elections and ways in which the EU might engage more closely with its citizens. It was noted however, that many surveys show the EU’s policy making to be closer to the aspirations of its citizens than those of many national governments.
My stay in Turkey coincided with the Supreme Election Council’s controversial decision to order a re-run of Istanbul’s recent mayoral election over alleged irregularities. Despite this, in discussion with the MSc students, I expressed optimism for Turkey’s future relations with the EU. Turkey, certainly Istanbul and Izmir, seem economically as advanced and European in outlook, as many other cities in the EU. True, there are some serious issues to be addressed but it would be foolish for us to close the door on Turkey’s membership application at this most sensitive time. In my discussion with undergraduates on the European studies course, the debate inevitably concentrated on Brexit.
Former prime minister David Cameron’s naive decision to call a referendum in the hope of uniting his Conservative Party has spectacularly backfired. The British Conservatives are more divided then ever, the opposition Labour Party (my own party) confused to say the least and the country split from top to bottom. How the UK will successfully move forward in its relations with the EU are, at the time of writing unknown. Were the decisions to be left in the hands of the well-informed young people at Izmir University, who knows, we might make progress and reach more sensible agreements! And so, all too quickly, my visit to Izmir was over and I headed home, my mind full of positive images and memories.

ITALY- UNIVERSITY OF ROME TOR VERGATA - John IVERSEN
2019-05-05 - 2019-05-07
The University invited a Former Member to an interdisciplinary international conference on the European Parliament. The conference was funded by EACEA, and involved not only scholars and policymakers, but intended to target mainly doctoral students and students.
A former member was invited to explain how a European parliamentarian works. The conference was attended by our member John Iversen. Here below you can read his report that was published on September 2020 FMA Bulletin. I was invited to attend a conference on May 6-7 in Rome at the University of Rome Tor Vergata. Here, about 120 PHD students from the university were gathered for a conference on the just-passed European Parliament elections. There was a wide range of very exciting presentations on the European Parliament’s evolution from an assembly of designated parliamentarians from the six original EC countries to a directly elected European Parliament of 751 members with a profound influence on the virtual all areas of EU legislative activity. The conference was organized by the University of Rome at the Vergata and AUSE star of the Associazione Universitaria di Studi Europei. It was also supported by the Erasmus+ Program of the European Union, and the European Parliament Former Members Association.
The conference was led by the president of AUSE Daniela Felsini of the University of Rome Tor Vergata, and the Secretary-General of AUSE Francesco Velo, of the University of Pavia.
In my speech, I reviewed the special feature of the European Parliament as a supranational parliament. • It is the world’s most
far-reaching experiment in transnational democracy.
• It is obligatory to operate in three different locations rather than have one single seat.
• It is multilingual to a degree unknown elsewhere.
• Like the US Congress, but unlike national parliaments, no government emerges directly from a majority in Parliament.

• Its members come from a fixed number of national political parties. In my presentation, I reviewed the development of the European Parliament’s power and influence from the Assembly with 142 indirectly elected members in 1958 until the first direct elections in 1979 and up to the recent elections of 23-26 May 2019. In addition, we discussed how, over the years, the European Parliament has succeeded in moving from being a Parliament with limited influence to today, where Europe has a decisive influence on most policy areas. The evolution from being a Parliament that just had to be heard and to a European Parliament where all the EU legislation requires approval form the European Parliament has only lasted 40 years.
In a year where it is both 40 years since we had the first direct election and 40 years ago that Jean Monnet died, it must be said to be quite
impressive that the European Parliament today is really one of the two legislative chambers of the European union. The debate was lively and it was very well organized. Thanks to the University of Rome Tor Vegata and AUSE – Associazione Universitaria di Studi Europei for the invitation to represent the European Parliament Former Members Association.

The State of the Union 2019
2019-05-01 - 2019-05-02
The 2019 edition of The State of the Union took place last weekend and had a special emphasis on 21st-Century Democracy in Europe, a theme of particular relevance in the run-up to the European elections at the end of May 2019.
Expert speakers representing a broad range of organisations, countries and views participated to debate and reflected on the democratic functioning of the European Union, its member states, and their capacity to respond to the aspirations and needs of future generations. FMA President Dr Hans-Gert Pöttering, Monica Baldi FMA member, who oversees our ties with the EUI in Florence, and Former EP and FMA President Enrique Barón Crespo attended the conference and participated in the debates.
Dr Hans Gert Pöttering participated to the panel, Do we really need politicians? E-democracy vs. representative democracy, on Thursday 2nd of May.

The questions this panel addressed were: What are the remedies to this trust crisis? Should we accept the end of political intermediaries and invest in the “horizontal” dimension of democracy by expanding direct participation and edemocracy? Or should we fix politics by improving the selection and incentives of elected officials?
Watch the Panel discussion and the Spitzenkandidaten Debate below:
“The role of universities is not limited to teaching and research – it also includes a third mission: to engage fully with society.” The opening lines of EUI President Renaud Dehousse’s welcome address to the 2019 State of the Union (SOU) high-level conference synthesized what the European University Institute’s (EUI) aims have been since its foundation in 1976, namely scientific excellence linked to societal commitment. Under the heading “21st-Century Democracy in Europe”, the SOU took place on the 2nd to the 4th of May at Villa Salviati and Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, such topics as rule of law, intergenerational inequalities, the Single Market, and disinformation in elections.
FMA President Hans-Gert Pöttering, former EP President Enrique Barón Crespo and Monica Baldi, who continuously espouses closer ties with the EUI, represented the Former Members Association at the SOU. The panel discussion “Do we really need politicians? E-democracy vs. representative democracy” on the second of May relied on the expertise of David Farrell, Professor at University College Dublin, Tommaso Nannicini, Member of the Italian Senate and Professor at Bocconi University, and President Pöttering. At the sight of eroding party systems and decreasing membership in political parties on the one hand, but increased use of direct participation tools and e-democracy on the other, the discussants reflected upon possible remedies to reconcile both the vertical and horizontal dimension of democracy.
Professor Nannicini initial remarks on old party systems, where those involved in the democratic process were aggregated much stronger by convictions, were backed by President Pöttering, who cited En Marche in France as a counterexample. Movements or platforms like the one who brought Emmanuel Macron to power pose greater difficulties to effective participation in the political process in comparison to traditional party structures, which, despite their rigidness, reward the competence of politicians.
Professor Farrell pointed out how our political systems have persistently proved themselves highly adaptive in the face of adversity. President Pöttering supported the latter’s view and added that each generation has its own challenges. Nevertheless, he rejected the argument that e-democracy could facilitate the “selection of politicians”. The technocratic notion suggested in that perspective would effectively undermine the normative side of politics, an indispensable trait of our democracies. Farrell then introduced recent findings in his home country, Ireland, where so-called Citizen Assemblies had been launched prior to important votes, such as the 2018 referendum on abortion. The outcome was very positive, as the Assembly channelled popular demands and contributed to a better-informed public on voting day. Prof Nannicini in turn praised the opportunities of e-government; in light of specialisation and growing bureaucracies, the digitalisation of democracy would be a promise of greater transparency. “Democracy is not everything”, warned President Pöttering in his final statement. Respect of direct democracy and, in the context of the European Union, the recognition of different referenda procedures depending on each member state, should never degenerate into the dictatorship of the majority. History has shown, over time, how the abuse of direct democracy instruments puts the protection of minorities in jeopardy. E-democracy, in sum, should be a complement and never a substitute of representative democracy and the liberal state.
FMA Secretariat

ROMANIA- BABES-BOLYAI UNIVERSITY CLUJ - Gyula HEGYI
2019-04-15 - 2019-04-18
The University invited a former Member to participate in a conference on “Democracy without liberalism – dealing with populism in the EU”.
The Congress was attended by our member Gyula Hegyi. Here below you can read her report that was published on the December 2019 FMA Bulletin. Babes-Bolyai University (UBB Cluj-Napoca) is one of the biggest universities in Romania. Around 41000 students study there, making Cluj a flourishing, youthful city. This university, commonly known by its abbreviation ‘UBB’, works closely with the European Parliament and the Former Members Association (FMA). I was invited to give three lectures on 16, 17 and 18 April 2019 as part of our joint programme. As I was invited to Cluj just before the European elections, I obviously had to concentrate on the opportunities and risks associated with those elections.
I was initially a little surprised to be asked to give three long lectures on three different topics, but the presence of so many young students (40-60 on the different occasions) and the warm welcome of the assistant professors made it a rather easy task. The title of my first lecture was ‘On the importance of the European Elections’. I spoke about the importance of the European Parliament as the EU body that represents EU citizens and explained its role in the EU decision-making process. After my lecture, the students asked many questions concerning the danger of populism and the chances of the pro-European and the Eurosceptic forces. It was very inspiring to discover that all the students were pro-European and to hear them condemn the extreme nationalist tendencies in Romania and all over in Europe. Of course, as a former Hungarian MEP I was also asked about the influence of Viktor Orbán and tried to answer correctly. My next lecture on ‘Democracy without liberalism – dealing with populism in the EU’ was a direct follow-up to the first one. I tried to point out that we can combat illiberal tendencies, but that it’s impossible to do so without a fair and sound social policy. The main source of populism is a widespread fear of poverty and social and economic uncertainty, and the feeling of being neglected by the traditional political parties. It’s not enough to condemn populism: we should also fight for a Social Europe.

Some students did, however, defend capitalism and condemn any kind of socialist tendency. We had an enjoyable discussion on the role that Member States and the European Community have to play in balancing economic freedom with social justice. On the third day, I held a workshop on ‘Career opportunities in EU studies’. Given the importance of the topic, I made some slides to show the students all the websites that provide information on the various EU-related scholarships, trainee programmes, volunteering opportunities etc. I also spoke about the role of MEP assistants and the FMA’s own trainee programme. The students seemed to be really interested in participating in one of those programmes to complement their European Studies degrees.
I also met Professor Mihaela Lutas, the Vice Rector of the UBB, and we agreed that our joint programmes are extremely important. I thanked him for his hospitality and we agreed to continue the partnership between the FMA and the UBB.

ISRAEL- BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY - Hans-Gert PÖTTERING
2019-04-07 - 2019-04-09
FMA President, Hans-Gert Pöttering attended an international conference marking Simone Veil’s life; to discuss her impact on French and European politics and contribution to key societal issues of our time.
The event also served to unveil the new title of the Centre for the Study of Politics and Society (CSEPS), which became the ‘The Simone Veil Research Centre for Contemporary European Studies’.
The international conference was attended by our President Hans-Gert Pöttering. Here below you can read his report that was published on June 2019 FMA Bulletin. The Centre for the Study of European Politics and Society (CSEPS) of the Ben Gurion University in Beersheba, Israel, has decided to adopt a new name in honour of the late Simone Veil.
As of the 2018 academic year, CSEPS has taken on its new name of ‘The Simone Veil Research Centre for Contemporary European Studies.’ The Research Centre’s new name was officially unveiled in an international conference, from the 8th to 10th of April, that commemorated Simone Veil’s life and legacy in European politics. The FMA President Hans-Gert Pöttering attended the conference and was asked to give the students some insight on the life and political career of Simone Veil. Dr. Hans-Gert Pöttering, personally voted for President Simone Veil in 1979, when he was a newly elected member of the European Parliament, told the panel about his personal experiences with the esteemed politician. The two former EP Presidents shared their views on a unified Europe and the important role of a strong Franco-German relationship.

In 2010 Simone Veil and Hans- Gert Pöttering collaborated on writing and signing an editorial on the Franco-German relation for the German and French media: “Germany is fundamentally committed to stability, while France proposes ‘economic governance’. The two points of view are complementary and lead to the defence of both the stability of the euro and the social market economy (a term of German origin, Soziale Marktwirtschaft) as defined in the Lisbon Treaty, to defend the competitiveness of our economies and the security of our jobs. To this
end, France and Germany will have to put forward joint proposals for political and economic strategy” they wrote together.
Dr. Pöttering also participated in a panel discussion on ‘The European Parliament since 1979: Actors, Issues and New Developments’. The panel was chaired by Professor Sharon Pardo, a senior Researcher at The Simone Veil Research Centre. The other speakers were Professor Dani Filc, Dr. Sarah Kahn-Nisser and Dr. Maurits Meijers. The panel discussed the evolution of actors, issues and new developments in the European Parliament since ‘79.

2019 Annual Lunch
2019-04-03 - 2019-04-04
The 2019 Annual Lunch took place on the 4 April at the European Parliament in Brussels.
Click here for more pictures

2019 Dinner Debate
2019-04-02 - 2019-04-03
The 2019 Dinner Debate took place on Wednesday 3 April at the Member’s Restaurant of the European Parliament in Brussels. The Guest Speaker was Professor Renaud Dehousse, President of the European University Institute (EUI). Click here for more pictures

Memorial Service 2019
2019-04-02 - 2019-04-03
The 2019 Memorial Service was held on Wednesday 3 April at 17:30 in the Space Yehudi Menuhin, European Parliament, Brussels. Read the Final Oration by President Klaus Hänsch and please find below the Brochure with the full list of deceased members and obituaries written by their former colleagues.

Forty years since the first direct elections to the EP: The making of a new political institution
2019-04-02 23:00 (Europe/Brussels) | European Parliament, Rue Wiertz 60, Brussels, 1050, Belgium
On the third of April, the Former Members Association, the European Parliament Research Service (EPRS) and the European University Institute (EUI) co-organised a policy roundtable on Forty years since the first direct elections to the EP: The making of a new political institution chaired by Anthony Teasdale, Director General of the European Parliamentary Research Service. Former European Parliament Presidents Enrique Barón Crespo, Pat Cox, Klaus Hänsch and Hans-Gert Pöttering, and Former European Parliament Vice-President for Conciliations Charlotte Cederschiöld, participated to the discussion and shared their insight on this exceptional anniversary of democracy as well as their ideas on the upcoming European Parliament elections in May. Dieter Schlenker, Director of the EU Historical Archives, moderated the panel. The first Expert Panel focused on the ’79-’89 Parliaments and their impact on the Parliaments’ culture, Europe’s economic development and the efforts to broaden the impact of the Parliament on European politics. Prof. Wassenberg, Prof. Kaiser and Prof. Warlouzet, stressed the importance of the FMA members who provided relevant first-hand testimonies.
During the Second Panel the Presidents took the floor and praised the evolution of the Parliament. President Pöttering acknowledged that there was an initial ‘democratic deficit’ but that this is no longer the case. Now Parliament plays a crucial role in the legislation process. Vice-President Charlotte Cederschiöld confirmed this point and President Hänsch added: “This Parliament should not seek to be or to become like the national parliaments. It is different and it must remain different.” President Cox shared his concern about rising nationalism and anti-European tendencies but called to stand up for Europe by citing Jean Monnet “I am neither pessimist nor optimist, I am merely determined.” He recognised that the decline of voter turnout is an issue of governance and legitimacy. President Barón Crespo opened his speech by reminding the figure of the President of the first directly elected European Parliament, Simone Veil, who embodied the dignity of Europe. He concluded by mentioning that movements for the emancipation of women or climate change, with youth at its core, are a promising outlook for the future of the European project.

SPAIN- UNIVERSITY OF DEUSTO - Francisca SAUQUILLO PÉREZ DEL ARCO
2019-03-20 - 2019-03-21
The University invited Francisca Sauquillo Pérez Del Arco to participate in the Jean Monnet conference: Political and economic legitimacy of the European union in current time.
A report in Spanish is available here.
Francisca SAUQUILLO PÉREZ DEL ARCO with students

UNITED KINGDOM- DE MONTFORT UNIVERSITY IN LEICESTER - Olle SCHMIDT
2019-03-19 - 2019-03-22
L’Université a invité deux anciens députés à participer à une série d’événements organisés du 20 au 22 mars 2019 sur le thème “La Grande-Bretagne et l’Union européenne après Brexit”. L’événement s’est déroulé dans le cadre des travaux du Centre d’excellence Jean Monnet de l’Université sur la gouvernance européenne sur la réforme et l’orientation future de l’Union européenne. L’événement a été organisé la semaine précédant la date à laquelle le Royaume-Uni doit quitter l’UE.
Ole Schmidt, membre de l’AAD, a participé à ces événements.

UNITED KINGDOM- De MONTFORT UNIVERSITY IN LEICESTER -Seán O NEACHTAIN
2019-03-19 - 2019-03-22
The University invited two former Members to participate in a series of events held from 20 to 22 March 2019 with the topic Britain and the European Union after Brexit. The event took place in the context of the work of the University Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence in European Governance on the reform and future direction of the European Union. The event was organized the week before the UK is scheduled to leave the EU.
Seán Ó NEACHTAIN participated in these event.

UKRAINE - UKRAINIAN ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSORS AND RESEARCHERS OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION - Andrew DUFF
2019-03-18 - 2019-03-20
A former member was invited to participate to an international conference on “Uniting Europe: a quarter century of institutionalization of the EU-Ukraine relations”. The audience mainly consisted of representatives of academic community from Ukraine and foreign countries, Jean Monnet projects coordinators and teaching members, students and graduates, representatives of NGOs, national and international experts from a variety of professional backgrounds, public officials, policymakers.
Andrew DUFF participated in this event. In the run up to the presidential elections in Ukraine, I was invited to participate in the annual conference of the Ukrainian Association of professors and researchers of European integration and the Ukrainian Association of international law. The event on 19-20 March was held in Lviv but gathered participants from across Ukraine, including those displaced from Crimea and Donbass.

The centre of attention was Ukraine’s association agreement with the EU, signed in 2014. Too few of the Ukrainian participant soffered in-depth analysis of the origins, negotiation and ratification of the controversial agreement: more were concerned simply toxpress dissatisfaction at the alleged unfairness of the asymmetric treaty. It became apparent that the potential of the association agreement is not being well exploited by the government in Kiev. Politics inUkraine remains overwhelmed by corruption fuelled by oligarchs and radically de-stabilised by the Russian invasion. Civil society, especially of a secular bent, is weak. The EU is blamed for imposing harsh conditions that work to impede Ukraine’s ambitions to join it as a full member state. I explained the nature and purpose of the association agreement as seen from the EU, and spelled out how problematic further enlargement now seems to be in general – and with regard to Ukraine in particular. I argued that the EU is at present too weak to contemplate its territorial expansion to Eastern Europe, and described the factors which inform the debate on the ‘future of Europe’, especially rule of law issues. Statements by Presiden tTusk that encourage Ukraine’s European aspirations do not reflect a Brussels consensus. Much interest was expressed in Brexit and many speakers drew analogies between the joint predicament of Ukraine and the UK on the outskirts of the Union. I argued that it is more difficult to leave the EU than to join it, andp osed questions. Could Britain’s prospective association agreement offer hope to others, including Ukraine? Is the Ukrainian association agreement a useful template for the British negotiations?

At a second event, I spoke to a largec rowd of students from the (public)Ivan Franko National University of Lviv and the (private) UkrainianCatholic University. In a long andlively exchange of views I was struck bout how important it is for EU pokesmen to stress that the valuesand principles of the European Union are those of liberal democracy. Viktor Orban is not a good role model forEuropean students.I was also reminded how necessary it is for young people to have goodducation in the history of their ownnations. It was alarming that so fewstudents evinced interest in the storyof pre-Soviet Ukraine or seemednterested in connecting their historywith their future. Even in Lviv/Lvov/Lemberg one hundred years afterthe fall of the Habsburg monarchy,there was no obvious effort to reflecton the history of this remarkablecity, and people seemed especiallyindifferent to its previous Jewishcharacter.I am most grateful to the excellentorganisation and warm hospitality ofmy Ukrainian hosts. The value of theEP to Campus programme is much ppreciated.

Women in the European Parliament
2019-03-06 - 2019-03-07
On the occasion of the International Women’s Rights Day on 8 March, and the forthcoming European elections, Villa Finaly and The Historical Archives of the European Union of the European University Institute of Florence, organised a half-day conference on the 7th of March, focused on the theme of “Women in the European Parliament”. Personalities from the academic, political and women’s rights activists were present including FMA members Monica Baldi, Luciana Castellina,Cristiana Muscardini and MEP Laura Ferrara to review the role of women’s figures in the 40-year history of the European Parliament, from its first President Simone Veil to the 2019 European election campaign.
FMA Board member, Monica Baldi, responsible for the relations with the EUI, stated: “We have learned from the two elegant and contagiously energetic female Presidents of the European Parliament, Simone Veil and Nicole Fontaine, to work, with optimism and passion, to build a strong Europe where all the institutions can act in co-decision, taking into account the needs of all citizens.”
Read the full report here.

UNITED KINGDOM- UNIVERSITY OF BATH - Margarita STARKEVICUITE
2019-03-03 - 2019-03-04
A former member was invited by the University of Bath to attend a roundtable session assessing the Lisbon Treaty 10 years after its implementation and the challenges Europe has faced since the Treaty. The member also shared their expertise with graduate students during several lectures.
The roundtable session was attended by our member Margarita STARKEVICIUTE. You can find here below her article that was published on the June 2019 FMA Bulletin. The University of Bath received its royal charter in 1966. Over the years the College grew and moved from Bristol to Bath and today offers students a high-quality education, as University ranked at 6th place among top UK universities in 2019.
Totally 17 000 students study at the University of Bath, non-UK residents comprise around 30 per cent and female students account for 45 per cent of the total number. University has its own Sports Training Village and students have an opportunity successfully balancing sporting career with studying. According to QS Global World Ranking in sports related subjects, the University of Bath is among the ten best Universities in the world. University achievements in research also should be highlighted – 87 per cent of research is classed as world-leading or internationally excellent by the recent Research Excellence Network. Former MEP Margarita Starkeviciute upon request of the University of Bath took a part in a Roundtable Event on 10 Years of the Lisbon Treaty. The event was attended by Euromasters students, and two University professors also were making short presentations on impact of the Lisbon Treaty on EU security and Trade policy.
The goal of the presentation on Lisbon strategy was to clarify the powers of the European Union and types of legal competence: exclusive competence, shared competence and supporting competence. Public debates tend to exaggerate EU powers and students were interested to learn that the Treaty of Lisbon offers to the Member States a significant number of mechanisms for flexibility and an involvement of national parliaments in the decision-making process, while to everyone it grants participatory democracy in form of citizen’s initiative.

The roundtable included one hour a Q&A session. Majority of questions were about the European Parliament role in the EU decision-making process. A group of undergraduate students expressed an interest to chat about European careers, so the afternoon was dedicated to a student-question driven session on the subject. Students were well informed about EU wide youth programs and consider them as relevant and useful. They got some more information on the posts open to young people at the different EU institutions and agencies.
On Tuesday a Master’s class in a module on International Trade was attended not only by the UK students but also by foreign students.Students were keen to learn about trade in digital services, use of new technologies like blockchain in trade, protection of privacy. It was noted that obligation to protect privacy as a fundamental right and creation of a level playing field for technology companies could be achieved by setting a new policy framework in international negotiations.
EU cities fair and ethical cities award results were presented as an example of how new policy can change the life of developing nations. The leading in this field EU Cities have a special policy that includes procurement, establishing long term relations with partner cities and regions from developing countries and citizens’ education in fair trade programs. That creates a framework for maintaining direct contacts and promoting fair trade.
This policy allows ensuring more efficient aid programs to deprived regions and cities in Africa, Asia and the Americas. During Q&A session students wanted to learn more about MEPs experience in international negotiations. A visit was very successful thanks to the well prepared program by Dr Maria Garcia a representative of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Science at the University of Bath and FMA.

Lycée Salvemini Luca d'Aosta - Gisela KALLENBACH
2019-02-21 - 2019-02-22
The 2019 programme, the Historical Archives have developed a programme for high schools focused on three main themes: European citizenship and school, climate change, and the institutional reform of the EU. The topics were well received by students from secondary schools who showed great interest. Numerous meetings were held in the prestigious Villa Salviati in Florence to discuss these highly topical issues.
The meeting was attended by our member Gisela KALLENBACH.

ITALY - SECONDARY SCHOOLS EUI - Lycée Salvemini Luca d'Aosta - Gisela KALLENBACH
2019-02-21 - 2019-02-22
In the 2019 programme, the Historical Archives have developed a programme for secondary schools focusing on three main themes: European citizenship and school, climate change, and EU institutional reform. These themes were well received by secondary school students who showed great interest. Numerous meetings were held in the prestigious Villa Salviati in Florence to discuss these highly topical issues.
Our member Gisela KALLENBACH participated in this meeting.

ITALY - SECONDARY SCHOOLS EUI - Liceo Machiavelli - Cristiana MUSCARDINI
2019-02-18 - 2019-02-19
The Historical Archives developed a programme for high schools focused on three main themes: European citizenship and school, climate change and the institutional reform of the EU. Numerous meetings were held in the prestigious Villa Salviati in Florence to discuss these highly topical issues.
The meeting with students from Liceo Machiavelli was attended by our member Cristiana MUSCARDINI.

Liceo Machiavelli - Cristiana MUSCARDINI
2019-02-18 - 2019-02-19

MAROC - Université internationale de Rabat - 12-14 FEVRIER 2019
2019-02-11 - 2019-02-14
The International University in Rabat invited a former member to a conference in Morocco. The main theme of the event was on current EU policies with a focus on migration and human rights. The speaker gave lectures on International Migration and Human Rights in the Mediterranean as well as EU policies and the European- Mediterranean relations.
>Per Gahrton

MOROCCO - INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY RABAT - Per GAHRTON
2019-02-11 - 2019-02-14
The International University in Rabat invited a former member to a conference in Morocco. The main theme of the event was on current EU policies with a focus on migration and human rights. The speaker gave lectures on International Migration and Human Rights in the Mediterranean as well as EU policies and the European- Mediterranean relations.
The Conference was attended by our member Per GAHRTON. You can find here below his article published on the June 2019 FMA Bulletin. Morocco is unquestionably a country of strategic significance to the EU in many respects. That is particularly true with regard to migration, which was one reason why the Université Internationale in Rabat wished to have an EU speaker at its conference on ‘International Migration and Human Rights in the Mediterranean’ on 14 February. As the person chosen under the FMA’s Campus programme to take on this role, I tried to outline the EU’s current policies on migration and human rights. Coming from Sweden, it was also natural for me to mention the crisis in 2015, when Sweden accepted 170 000 asylumseekers, as against the normal figure of 30,000 – 40,000, while other EU countries closed their borders, built walls and in addition torpedoed the European Commission’s proposal for an equitable distribution of refugees. I observed that cooperation between EU and MENA (Middle Eastern and North African) countries was important in order to deal with migration in a humanitarian manner and in accordance with international law. At the same time, I was aware that cooperation between the EU and Morocco is by no means uncomplicated. On 12 February, while I was in Morocco, the European Parliament approved by 415 votes to 189, with 49 abstentions, a fisheries agreement with Morocco which was also intended to apply to fisheries off Western Sahara, even though the Court of Justice of the EU had ruled that an EU agreement with Morocco must not apply to Western Sahara. The decision was welcomed wholeheartedly in the Moroccan media and I was asked whether it should not be interpreted as a de facto recognition that Western Sahara belonged to Morocco. But on the European Commission’s website (12 February) it was stated that the agreement did not constitute a recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the territory of Western Sahara. On the other hand, it was stressed that Morocco was obliged to report to the EU that the agreement, under which the EU was to pay Morocco EUR 160 million over four years, was benefitting Western Sahara economically.
With regard to Sweden, Al-Adath Al-Maghribiya stated that Sweden had supported the Polisario Front previously, but had backtracked, and representatives of Sweden’s Foreign Ministry now absolutely denied that there was any plan to recognise the Sahrawi Republic.
So what is the true state of affairs? Is not the whole EU in the process of backtracking from its united position on the UN’s demand for a referendum on the status of Western Sahara? Where Sweden is concerned, many people suspect that a deal has been done: two Swedish governments, one conservative and the other red-green, have disregarded the Swedish Parliament’s decision of 2012 to recognise the Sahrawi Republic, while Morocco has entered into cooperation with Sweden to take back the hundreds of Moroccan street children who suddenly turned up in Stockholm a year or two ago.
And when, despite the clear ruling delivered by the Court of Justice to the effect that no agreement between the EU and Morocco should apply to Western Sahara, the European Parliament nonetheless approved a fisheries agreement that covered that territory, did not that constitute a first step towards a retreat from the UN position? It is to be hoped that the talks recently initiated under the auspices of the UN will result in a peaceful solution. Perhaps not a sovereign Western Saharan state. But at least a separate, autonomous region, maybe like Scotland. And in some kind of union with Morocco. First, however, the referendum which was decided upon and which was supposed to have been held nearly 30 years ago, must be carried out.
Obviously there are serious practical problems attached to this, including that of deciding who should have the right to vote in it. But it is hard to imagine any solution being acceptable to all parties if it has not been supported in a referendum. This is a question of respect for international law and for the UN’s role in peace-making. And that is something for which the EU bears a huge amount of responsibility.

INDIA - MANGALORE UNIVERSITY - Michael HINDLEY
2019-02-03 - 2019-02-08
The EP to Campus programme cooperated with Mangalore University. Michael Hindley was invited to India to speak present his views on important developments/ issues of European Union followed by discussion. The topic was related to relations with developing countries/India; global governance; contemporary developments in EU; security (EU and global conflict)/Cultural aspects.
The talks was attended for our member Michael HINDLEY. Here below you can find his article published on June 2019 FMA Bulletin. I have had a long a happy relationship with India and was absolutely delighted when invited to be guest lecturer for the FMA at the University of Mangalore in Southern India. Mangalore, on the coast of the state of Karnataka is certainly not on the tourist itinerary but given the beauty of its temples, mosques and nearby hill country it certainly should be. Beyond tourist attractions Mangalore has the perhaps un-expected status as being amongst the 50 most “liveable” cities in the world in terms of quality of life and as such the highest rated Indian city.
More impressively Mangalore rates 12th world city in terms of health care. The University campus is in a leafy suburb has also an outreach centre in Chikka Aluvara. I gave lectures in both and was greeted with typical Indian courtesy and intellectual curiosity. The University also has a city centre University College, where I also gave a lecture, which offers evening MAs courses for professional who wish to increase their qualifications. This fulfils one of my own educational commitments and that is “life-long learning”.
In addition I also gave a guest lecturer at the University of Manipal, one of the mo st modern state of the art educational centres I have seen anywhere in the world. One of the most attractive features of intellectual life in India is the politeness of the exchanges. There is seldom the feeling of trying to show how clever the questioner is. There is a sheer enjoyment of engagement without any inhibitions about disagreement. I also spoke to the local Chamber of Commerce and given the many commercial links which exists between India and the UK much concern was expressed about the effects of Brexit.
Concern was also expressed also about EU/India relations. I have been acting as adviser to the European Economic and Social Committee on a report on the Commissions “EU/Asia Connectivity” ideas which frankly give scant regard to the sheer complexity of “Asia”. India is a difficult partner for the EU, not least because its size gives it some counterbalance to the EU in bargaining power. “Europe” remains mainly a geographical concept, not a political one. Audiences certainly know the major member states of the EU but the extent to which modern Europe is integrated within the EU remains only vaguely appreciated.
My personal host, Professor Amin, was a fund of information about India and arranged some wonderful sight-seeing excursions to temples, mosques and the nearly hill stations in the Coorg region famous for its spices, exotically flavoured wines and coffees. The multicultural character of India is staggering – and the facilities of Indians to use English as a lingua franca, plus their mother tongue, plus a local language is quite amazing. For those who rightly celebrate the diversity of Europe, my advice is go to India, to put our diversity into global perspective.

ITALY - Lycée Giotto Ulivi - Luciana CASTELLINA
2019-01-27 - 2019-01-28
The Historical Archives have developed a programme for high schools focused on: The free movement of persons and the dynamics and memories of mobility in the EU. Numerous meetings will be held in the prestigious Villa Salviati in Florence to discuss these highly topical issues.
The meeting was attended by our FMA member Luciana CASTELLINA. I participated for the first time in one of the events organised by the European University Institute of Florence in collaboration with the Former Members’ Association and was impressed both by the level of the Institute and by the reaction of the secondary school students who attended. The session was divided into three parts: The first part focused on information on the ‘Europe System’, during which I and a competent Institute official took the floor to address European issues, and I spoke about my personal experience as a Member of the European Parliament.
The young people were pleased to get involved and asked some very pertinent questions; The second part, in which the young people, split into three groups, pretended to identify themselves with political parties and to submit a draft legislative initiative; The third part, in which the young people presented the result of their work and we commented on it together.
The topics were of general and social interest:
1) EU citizenship and schools;
2) climate change, the environment and energy, and
3) the institutional reform of the European Union.
In my introductory statement, I took a moment to explain the differences between the various European institutions: the Commission, Parliament, Council, Court of Justice of the European Union, Council of the European Union, President of the Commission, President of Parliament, President of the Council and President of the Council of the European Union. I noted that there was a lack of knowledge of the various institutions and their powers. I believe that Member States should include topics relating to the European Union on school curricula as from secondary school level. This is vital in order to educate young people properly.
I commend initiatives like this which are useful both to us politicians, to remedy our numerous communication errors, and to young people, who need to open themselves up to the range of opportunities offered to them by a Europe of peoples and cultures.

Lycée Giotto Ulivi- Oreste ROSSI
2019-01-27 - 2019-01-28
The Historical Archives have developed a programme for high schools focused on: The free movement of persons and the dynamics and memories of mobility in the EU. Numerous meetings will be held in the prestigious Villa Salviati in Florence to discuss these highly topical issues.
The meeting was attended by our FMA member Oreste ROSSI. I participated for the first time in one of the events organised by the European University Institute of Florence in collaboration with the Former Members’ Association and was impressed both by the level of the Institute and by the reaction of the secondary school students who attended. The session was divided into three parts: The first part focused on information on the ‘Europe System’, during which I and a competent Institute official took the floor to address European issues, and I spoke about my personal experience as a Member of the European Parliament.
The young people were pleased to get involved and asked some very pertinent questions; The second part, in which the young people, split into three groups, pretended to identify themselves with political parties and to submit a draft legislative initiative; The third part, in which the young people presented the result of their work and we commented on it together.
The topics were of general and social interest:
1) EU citizenship and schools;
2) climate change, the environment and energy, and
3) the institutional reform of the European Union.
In my introductory statement, I took a moment to explain the differences between the various European institutions: the Commission, Parliament, Council, Court of Justice of the European Union, Council of the European Union, President of the Commission, President of Parliament, President of the Council and President of the Council of the European Union. I noted that there was a lack of knowledge of the various institutions and their powers. I believe that Member States should include topics relating to the European Union on school curricula as from secondary school level. This is vital in order to educate young people properly.
I commend initiatives like this which are useful both to us politicians, to remedy our numerous communication errors, and to young people, who need to open themselves up to the range of opportunities offered to them by a Europe of peoples and cultures.

Lycée Giotto Ulivi- Niccolò RINALDI
2019-01-27 - 2019-01-28
The Historical Archives have developed a programme for high schools focused on: The free movement of persons and the dynamics and memories of mobility in the EU. Numerous meetings will be held in the prestigious Villa Salviati in Florence to discuss these highly topical issues.
The meeting was attended by our FMA member Niccolò RINALDI.

Lycée Giotto Ulivi- Monica BALDI
2019-01-27 - 2019-01-28
The Historical Archives have developed a programme for high schools focused on: The free movement of persons and the dynamics and memories of mobility in the EU. Numerous meetings will be held in the prestigious Villa Salviati in Florence to discuss these highly topical issues.
The meeting was attended by ours FMA member Monica BALDI.
