Navigating Political Currents - The State of Democracy in the EU with Alberto Alemanno

In this episode of the Vienna Coffee House Conversations, host Ivan Vejvoda engages with Alberto Alemanno, a leading voice on Europe's democratization. The discussion focuses on the state of democracy in Europe and the European Union, emphasizing the rise of far-right parties and the challenges of upcoming elections, including the 2024 European Parliamentary elections. Alemanno provides insights into electoral trends, the role of conservative parties, and the narrative of a Europe of nations. The conversation (recorded on 4 December 2023) also covers the European Council meeting on 14 and 15 December 2023, touching on decisions regarding Ukraine and Moldova, and institutional reforms within the EU. Alemanno expresses skepticism about the meeting's potential outcomes due to the complex geopolitical landscape and internal EU politics.

Alberto Alemanno is a Jean Monnet Professor in EU Law at HEC Paris since 2009, a permanent visiting professor at the University of Tokyo's School of Public Policy and the College of Europe in Bruges and a 2023/24 Europe's Futures Fellow of ERSTE Foundation and IWM Vienna. He began his academic career as a teaching assistant at the College of Europe in Bruges in 2001, later pursuing a PhD at Bocconi University. Alemanno is a qualified attorney in New York and has worked as a law clerk at the Court of Justice of the European Union and the General Court of the European Union. He is a Global Clinical Professor of Law at New York University School of Law, where he directs the HEC-NYU EU Public Interest Clinic.