January-April 2020

Our previous newsletter was mailed just at the end of 2019.

How different was our world, not just 3½ months ago, but 3½ weeks ago…

2020 has been marked by a global, unprecedented crisis. Covid-19 transformed the way we live and work, without diminishing our productivity. “Ιn dark times think tanks keep the lights on”, as goes the maxim of the global solidarity campaign of think tanks ELIAMEP is part of.

The pandemic challenges us all. ELIAMEP has adjusted its activities, conducting our public debates as webinars. In a joint panel with two leading European think tanks (Bruegel and EPC) we explored “Where is the Eurozone heading?” Our webinars continue with two more public discussions scheduled for April. On Tuesday 21/4, an excellent panel of experts will discuss “What is happening in Turkey?”.

The economic and financial implications of COVID-19 have prompted our Greek and European Economy Observatory to launch a weekly Newsletter (already on its 4th issue) on the European and international economic developments surrounding the crisis.

A series of articles, interviews and public interventions from our experts and analysts (here, here, here, here, here, and here) have aimed at shining some light on the post-COVID-19 era, elaborating on its nature, even attempting some predictions.

Following the outbreak of COVID-19, we have published three policy briefs, on the EMU’s new fiscal challenge, the international and European economic and political implications of the crisis, and the targeted interventions of the EU to support member-states, giving rise to new intra-EU divisions.

Crises in our own neighborhood remain the focus of our analyses. January was marked by a new migrant crisis that aggravated Greek-Turkish bilateral relations.

Our experts attempted to understand how can the EU tackle this major refugee and migrant crisis.

We organized a workshop to investigate the importance of European values in managing the refugee crisis. A number of articles written by our experts for the international and Greek press reviewed this matter.

The relations between Turkey and the EU, and those between Turkey and Greece, represent a main body of ELIAMEP’s analysis and research (here here, here) and are the central themes of our publications and events for 2020. As part of our closed “Ambassadors Circle”, we hosted the Turkish Ambassador, seeking to understand how our neighbor thinks.

The changing Greek-US relations and the evolving security architecture in our region were tackled by our experts.

The EU decision to launch membership talks with North Macedonia and Albania, a prospect ELIAMEP had supported from day one, was a focal point in our research, including an exploration of public opinion in the Western Balkans.

The ELIAMEP South-East Europe Programme, together with European Movement Albania (EMA), organized events aiming to inform and raise awareness amongst the Albanian public and civil society on the benefits of EU membership.

We also participated in key regional forums.

We launched a new project mapping and comparing the health implications of the global pandemic across the South-Eastern European countries.

We are also part of the new EU research project PAVE, studying the prevention and tackling of violent extremism in the Balkans, the Middle East and North Africa.

Europe and the need for greater EU sovereignty remains high in ELIAMEP’s list of priorities.

This new global crisis brings to the fore the risks and challenges to European unity.

The publication of the third volume of 2CU (Towards a Citizen’s Union) “Deliberative Democracy in the EU: Countering Populism with Participation and Debate” could have come at no better time.

The collective volume “EU External Relations” reflects ELIAMEP’s commitment to the study of European integration and the EU’s changing global role.

There is more. We organized a public discussion on the 25 years of the EU’s Northern enlargement and the trade-offs of EU membership.

We have repeatedly underlined the mutually disastrous outcomes of exiting the EU and breaking up the global multilateral order.

Despite its heavy toll, this current crisis has brought about facets of Greece we can all be proud of.

ELIAMEP wishes you a happy orthodox Easter.