2 MAG 2024 · In this episode of the JOINT podcast, we delve into the complex role of the European Union as a global actor in foreign and security policy. Riccardo Alcaro, Research Coordinator and Head of the Global Actors Programme at IAI, Istituto Affari Internazionali, and Pol Bargués, Senior Research Fellow at CIDOB, the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs, conceptualise the EU as a "Relational Power," exploring how it addresses conflicts and crises in its neighborhood while navigating the dynamics of increasing great power rivalry. Through examples, they analyse the EU's approach to conflict resolution and speculate about the future trajectory of European Foreign and Security Policy. Is the EU becoming more integrated or fragmenting? What are the implications of these potential paths? The discussion is moderated by Milena Di Nenno, Assistant Project Coordinator and Communications Manager of the JOINT project. This thought-provoking conversation sheds light on the nuances of the EU's global influence, its ability to leverage relationships, and its role in shaping the evolving geopolitical landscape.

16 APR 2024 · This episode of the JOINT podcast, moderated by Luciana Fazio (Post-Doctoral Researcher at University of Siena – UNISI) and featuring Pierangelo Isernia (Full Professor at University of Siena – UNISI), Francesco Olmastroni (Associate Professor at University of Siena – UNISI) and Carlotta Mingardi (former Post-Doctoral Researcher at University of Siena – UNISI), explores the public opinion and political party attitudes towards the European Union's Foreign and Security Policy. The discussion examines why public opinion and domestic politics should be considered in the EU's foreign and security policymaking, the current state of public opinion on these issues, and how the Ukraine war has impacted public attitudes. The researchers present findings from focus groups, surveys, and experiments across six European countries - France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, and Spain. The discussion also explores the opportunities and risks the evolving landscape presents for the future development of a coherent and effective EU Foreign and Security Policy and provides insights into the complex interplay between public opinion, political parties, and European integration in this policy domain.

25 AGO 2023 · This episode of the JOINT podcast explores the hampering effect of intra-EU contestation on the EU's ability to respond effectively to international conflicts and crisis. Moderated by Sarah van Bentum (Research Fellow at Freie Universität Berlin and Scholar-in-Residence at the German Federal Foreign Office), Pol Bargués (Senior Research Fellow at the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs - CIDOB), Sinem Akgül-Açıkmeşe (Professor of International Relations at Kadir Has University and Research Director at the Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies - EDAM) and Elsa Lilja Gunnarsdottir (Junior Research Fellow at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs - NUPI) analyse what constitutes the core of contestation, how we understand intra-EU in the research of the JOINT project and how it interplays with the two other contextual factors - regional fragmentation and multipolar competition. Focusing on three case studies from Kosovo-Serbia, Israel-Palestine and Venezuela, our experts discuss the impact of intra-EU contestation on which level contestation appears most frequently and the EU responded to the three very different conflict scenarios. The conversation further explores possibilities to mitigate the often negative impact of intra-EU contestation and presents strategies that EU policymakers can take to strengthen coherence of their foreign and security policies. Join us as we delve into exploring the role of intra-EU contestation and discuss potential solutions for a more effective EU foreign and security policy.

14 GIU 2023 · This episode of the JOINT podcast explores the obstacles faced by the European Union in achieving a cohesive foreign and security policy. Focusing on case studies from Syria, Libya, and the Horn of Africa (with a focus on Ethiopia and the Tigray War), Jesutimilehin O. Akamo (Research Coordinator at the Africa Peace and Security Programme of the Institute for Peace and Security Studies - IPSS at Addis Ababa University), Francesca Caruso (Research Fellow at the Istituto Affari Internazionali - IAI) and Özlem Tür (Professor of International Relations at the Middle East Technical University, Ankara), moderated by Caterina Bedin (Research Fellow at the Foundation for Strategic Research - FRS), discuss the impact of regional fragmentation, as to say when regional rules of engagement erode or collapse altogether. In these contexts, where the central authority is challenged and the competition between multiplying actors creates instability, what can be done to improve the EU's strategy in navigating the complexities? Join us as we delve into the intricate impact of regional fragmentation and discuss potential solutions for a more effective EU foreign and security policy.

15 MAG 2023 · Recent years have witnessed the return of competition between the world's most powerful states, which is exerting a significant impact on EU foreign and security policy and constraining the EU's room for manoeuvre as well. The advent of an increasingly multipolar world also raises questions about the reach of the EU's interests and influence -- and also over what kind of actor the EU seeks to be. This podcast will explore how power competition is a major factor hampering EU efforts at crisis management and conflict resolution in three regions: Eastern Europe, with a focus on Ukraine; the Middle East, with a focus on Iran; and the Indo-Pacific, with a focus on the South China Sea. Zachary Paikin, Researcher at CEPS Brussels is joined by Kristi Raik, Deputy Director and Head of the Foreign Policy Programme at ICDS Tallinn; Riccardo Alcaro, JOINT Project Coordinator and Head of the Global Actors Programme at IAI Rome; and Gilang Kembara, Researcher at CSIS Jakarta.

4 LUG 2022 · The European Union was established as a peace project to reconcile France and Germany, but over the last three decades the EU has also worked on creating peace and prosperity abroad. It has mediated between conflicting parties, deployed peacekeepers and provided aid and peacebuilding support. Yet, in the last couple of years the EU has found more difficult to implement such policies. What are the main challenges the EU faces in formulating and implementing foreign and security policy? Some of them are outlined in this JOINT Podcast hosted by Hylke Dijkstra, Associate Professor at Maastricht University. Speakers: Gergana Noutcheva, Associate professor at Maastricht University, Agnès Levallois, Senior Research Fellow at the Foundation for Strategic Research, and Assem Dandashly, Assistant Professor at Maastricht University.

6 GIU 2022 · In this podcast, we first try to understand what EU Foreign and Security Policy is and then we analyse what capacities the EU has to address conflicts today, in particular in relation to the war in Ukraine. Pol Bargués, Research fellow at CIDOB-Barcelona Centre for International Affairs, hosts Pernille Rieker, Research Professor at the Norwegian Institute for International Affairs, Kristi Raik, the Director of the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute at International Centre for Defense and Security, and Kristina Kausch, Senior Resident Fellow at German Marshall Fund of the United States.