CONGRESS WORKING GROUPS AND PANELS
The overarching topic of the congress is Nationalism, populism, and identities: contemporary challenges. In the global context, the growth of nationalism and populism is one of the greatest challenges facing not only Europe but also North and South America and the Asia Pacific. This can be a destructive force if it means that states retreat into an isolationist mindset and away from effective multilateral solutions to perceived cross-border problems.
Nationalism is a form of identity politics and is not to be assumed to be always a negative force. However, the increasing tendency towards radical nationalism and in turn exclusionist populism, even when presented as nationalism, constitutes a major challenge to democracy and the rule of law. Populism can undermine trust in institutions and give rise to intolerance within society. Within the European context, and in addition to the broader international context, there are specific, disturbing populist trends in the EU and the EU’s focus has inevitably turned more strongly towards a number of internal challenges which might pose a serious challenge to the EU’s central aims and its adherence to fundamental rights.
A form of nationalism or identity politics is also discernible in the movement in Europe for more devolved powers or for secession and independence. A related question is whether opportunities for devolved administrations on the international stage might provide a dynamic alternative to independence, whether on their own or in conjunction with purely national or sub-regional measures.
Finally, the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the greatest economic and health crisis seen in 100 years. Within the EU and beyond it, emergency powers have been used to close borders unilaterally and to restrict people movement on the ground of protection of public health. The problems over the EU’s Covid-19 rescue packages evidenced at the Council meeting in July 2020 have exposed severe fault lines in EU solidarity, leading some commentators to question the future of the common European project.
The congress is organized under the following topics of discussion, for which working groups of relevant experts have been organized to draft the pertinent papers.
WORKING GROUPS
Working Group
Constitutional, legal, or governance questions in the context of Nationalism
Focused on first, identifying the constitutional, legal, and governance features that are the target of populist critique, and secondly, analysing the challenges that populism poses to constitutional systems and the checks and balances that are required to mitigate those threats and, to the extent possible, mitigate populist constitutional crises
Working Group
Nationalism in the context of the Covid 19 pandemic
The development of effective policies in the field of health by the EU is not only a necessity derived from the pandemic we are experiencing. It is also a challenge that can greatly help the construction not only of a common space in health, but also to stop criticism from nationalist and populist movements against the EU project. The democratic crisis and the risks for the future EU project are directly related to its social agenda and health is, among them, one of the most relevant for citizens. It can be concluded that moving towards an EU with a common framework in health is moving towards an EU with “good health”.
Working Group
Nationalism, populism, and the economy
Understanding why liberalism has failed to secure its dominance is key to successfully wage the battles ahead. The liberal order based on the principles of individual freedom, inclusive governance, property rights and free exchange, globalization and multilateralism, has proven beneficial to many but not to all.
The Congress will cover aspects of the impact of nationalist/ populist policies on the funding of South American pension schemes where there have been unexpected calls on funds to deal with the effects of COVID-19
The Congress will also cover other cross-cutting issues, using free-standing panels on EU refugee externalisation policies, climate change issues (with specific reference to the outcome of the Conference of the Parties (COP) 26 in November 2021 in Glasgow), and misinformation and free speech in modern democratic societies.
