IIEA Talks

Latest Episodes:

Labour’s Transition from Opposition to Government: UK Politics End-of-Year Review Dec 05, 2024

Show notes

In July of this year, Labour won one of the biggest landslides in British electoral history. However, according to the Irish Times’ London Correspondent Mark Paul, the new government's sheen quickly wore off. Prime Minister Keir Starmer was forced into an early reshuffle of his backroom operation while his popularity also plummeted, causing his administration to try turn the page on its early difficulties with a landmark budget that stunned Westminster in its scale. In his address to the IIEA, Mark Paul gives an overview of the challenges the Party has faced as it makes the transition from opposition to government. He discusses how confident Labour’s senior leadership is that they can lead Britain into a more stable political era. He also looks at how Labour might fend off the Tories under Kemi Badenoch and the growing electoral threat from Nigel Farage's Reform UK. About the Speaker: Mark Paul has been the London Correspondent and writer of the weekly London Letter for the Irish Times since January 2023. Before that he was the author of the backpage Caveat column in the Irish Times and also the Business Affairs Correspondent. Mr Paul joined the newspaper in 2013 from The Sunday Times, where he worked for almost a decade. He is currently a member of the Westminster press lobby, primarily observing the political intrigue in the Houses of Parliament. Mr Paul also reports on events from Holyrood and the Senedd in Edinburgh and Cardiff.

The AI Act and Europe’s Competitiveness Dec 05, 2024

Show notes

In his address to the IIEA, Kai Zenner discusses the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act). He outlines the Act’s risk-based approach and its implications for different levels of the AI value chain. Mr Zenner will also assess what he deems to be the positive and negative features of the AI Act. He particularly discusses the implications of the Act for the EU’s competitiveness, including both the opportunities and the risks. About the Speaker: Kai Zenner is Head of Office and Digital Policy Adviser for Axel Voss MEP (European People’s Party Group) in the European Parliament. He focuses on AI, privacy, the EU’s digital transition and Better Regulation. Mr Zenner is a member of the OECD.AI Network of Experts and of the AI Governance Alliance at the World Economic Forum. He was also part of the temporary Expert Group that supported the 'High-Level Advisory Body on AI' of the United Nations. Mr Zenner was awarded best MEP Assistant in 2023 and ranked Place #13 in Politico's Power 40 - class 2023.

4th John Hume European ‘Spirit of Peace’ Lecture Dec 05, 2024

Show notes

John Hume was a committed and dedicated European, seeing the institutions and ethos of the European Union as models for peace, partnership, and reconciliation in Northern Ireland. The John Hume 'European Spirit of Peace’ Lecture recognises those who have demonstrated a strong commitment to European principles and values. The IIEA is honoured to host the fourth edition of the ‘European Spirit of Peace’ Lecture which was delivered by Simon Coveney TD, former Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. About the Speaker: Simon Coveney TD served as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from 2022 to 2024. He also served as Deputy Leader of Fine Gael from 2017 to 2024. He previously served as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence and was Ireland’s Brexit spokesperson through the Brexit negotiations. Mr Coveney was Tánaiste from November 2017 to June 2020 and has also held roles as Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Mr Simon Coveney represented Cork South Central constituency from 1998 to November 2024.

Germany's Political Uncertainty Ahead of the 2025 Federal Election Dec 04, 2024

Show notes

Germany’s traffic light coalition came to power in December 2021, promising a green, innovative transformation - of the German economy and its role in Europe. It has delivered neither, buffeted by external crises and hobbled by domestic ideological battles that have poisoned cooperation on all fronts and left Germany - and Europe - adrift. Derek Scally, Berlin correspondent of the Irish Times, gives an overview of the options for any new government following the next federal election, scheduled for September 2025. About the Speaker: Derek Scally is a native Dubliner, who studied at Dublin City University and the Humboldt University in Berlin, where he has been Irish Times correspondent since 2001. Covering politics, business and culture, he is a regular contributor to German news outlets, including Die Zeit weekly and Deutschlandfunk/WDR radio. He reports regularly from northern Europe and is also author of “The Best Catholics in the World”, published in 2021 by Penguin.

Driving Inclusion: Enhancing Disability Services and Policies Across Europe Dec 03, 2024

Show notes

The European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD), a non-profit NGO in the disability sector, promotes the views of over 20,000 social services and their umbrella associations. The EASPD aims to promote equal opportunities for people with disabilities through effective and high-quality service systems. On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Kirsi Konola, President of the EASPD, provides a comprehensive overview of the EU framework for disability policy and looks at examples of structures in different Member States and European countries to support disability services. She highlights the EASPD’s role in empowering its members to transform service delivery and to implement innovative practices on the ground. Drawing on her experience in Finland, Ms Konola reflects on collaborative efforts to advance disability policy and services at national and international level. About the Speaker: Kirsi Konola is the President of the European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) and the CEO of Tukena Foundation. Tukena is one of Finland’s largest value-based social service providers, dedicated to promoting the good life of people with disabilities. Kirsi is deeply committed to advancing the human rights of persons with disabilities and transforming services and service structures to enable their full realisation. Her work focuses on developing inclusive, human rights-based services in collaboration with broad networks and particularly with individuals, their families, and professionals. She brings extensive leadership experience, with expertise in strategic and value-based leadership as well as change management. Kirsi is particularly skilled at bridging policy and practice to drive the vision and objectives of organisations and advance the broader goals of the sector.

Foreign Policy Priorities for The Next Government: Seven Perspectives 28/11/2024 Dec 02, 2024

Show notes

On the eve of the Irish General Election, this edition of IIEA Insights brings together seven diplomats, scholars, and analysts to share their views on what the foreign policy priorities of the next government should be. Each speaker outlines one-three priorities over a five-minute period. Speakers include: Edward Burke, Assistant Professor in the History of War at University College Dublin Clifford Coonan, China Analyst, Reporter, Producer, and Editor with Deutsche Welle Bill Emmott, Former Editor of The Economist Mary Fitzgerald, Non-Resident Scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington DC Declan Kelleher, Former Irish Ambassador to China and the EU Michael O’Sullivan, Author and Adviser on Intersection of Investment and Geopolitics Mary Whelen, Former Irish Permanent Representative to the UN and WHO

2024 EU Enlargement Package: Perspectives from the European Commission on Building a Stronger Union Dec 02, 2024

Show notes

Following the adoption of the 2024 Enlargement Reports on 30 October 2024, DG Koopman provides an analysis from the perspective of the European Commission on the current state of play of EU enlargement. He examines the progress made by the partners from the Western Balkans, Ukraine, and Moldova on their paths towards EU memberships. He also discusses the frozen negotiations with Türkiye and the halted accession process of Georgia in light of recent developments, in particular the adopted law on transparency of foreign influence. About the Speaker: Gert Jan Koopman has been the Director-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations at the European Commission since January 2023. Between 2018 and December 2022, he was the Director-General of the European Commission’s budget department, where he contributed to putting in place the EU’s €800 billion NextGenerationEU recovery plan as well as the €18 billion MFA+ for Ukraine.

How Northern Ireland can be a Good News Story for the Three New Governments Nov 27, 2024

Show notes

Although 2024 will be remembered as a year of political and electoral tumult worldwide, the situation in Northern Ireland has been relatively stable. The Executive and Assembly have been functioning since the Safeguarding the Union Deal (31 January) and its draft Programme for Government is intended to do ‘what matters most’. This rather unfamiliar situation must come as a considerable relief to those who consider themselves co-guarantors of the 1998 Good Friday/Belfast Agreement, none of whom can expect much domestic or international stability in the near future. Northern Ireland is ripe for good things to grow, but this won't happen without some cultivation. Drawing on evidence and analysis from political sociology, in her address to the IIEA, Professor Hayward identifies the conditions that will make for belated but healthy progress in Northern Ireland society and the ways in which Ireland, the UK, and the USA – not to mention the ever-important EU – can help nurture them. About the Speaker: Katy Hayward MRIA FAcSS is Professor of Political Sociology at Queen’s University Belfast. She is an Eisenhower Fellow and was a Europe’s Futures Fellow (ERSTE/IWM) in 2023/24. Professor Hayward was also recipient of a special Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize and ‘Political Communicator of the Year’ award for her work on the impact of Brexit on Ireland/Northern Ireland, and is a trusted expert for media, policy, civic, and academic audiences worldwide. Her latest publications include the co-authored book Northern Ireland a Generation after Good Friday (2021).

Von Der Leyen’s New Team – What Next For Europe? Nov 27, 2024

Show notes

This event is being held in conjunction with the European Commission Representation and the European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland. Held at the IIEA to mark President von der Leyen’s address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg when she presents her new team, an expert panel discusses the composition of the Commission and the implications this will have for Europe and its place in the world. As the dust settles on the European Parliament hearings this month, as the contours of the new Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space takes shape amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, and following the re-election of Donald Trump to the White House, the panel will reflect on the challenges that President von der Leyen’s new team might face over the coming years, all against the backdrop of forthcoming general elections in the likes of Ireland and Germany. Speakers: Eileen Dunne, Former RTE newsreader & former International President of the Association of European Journalists (chair) Catherine Day, Former Secretary General of the European Commission John O'Brennan, Professor of European Politics at Maynooth University Dan O'Brien, Chief Economist of the IIEA

Reflections On COP 29 Podcast Nov 25, 2024

Show notes

This year, COP 29 takes place in Baku and a key focus at the conference will be finance, countries requiring considerable amounts of finance to significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions and protect people from the worsening effects of climate change. The Conference aims to find a new collective quantified goal on finance. Countries also presented their updated climate action plans, as under the Paris Agreement. COP 29 is seen as an important opportunity to accelerate action to tackle the climate crisis. This panel of experts explores what was achieved during COP 29 and whether there were any missed opportunities, with a specific focus being paid to the work of agreeing a collective quantified goal on finance. Ahead of the tenth anniversary of the Paris Climate Accords, the panel also reflects on COP process and whether a new forum is required in order to achieve greater change. About the Speakers: Jerry Mac Evilly is Head of Policy in Friends of the Earth where he manages research, advocacy and stakeholder engagement in support of campaigns on fossil fuel phase-out and climate action. Jerry has over 15 years' experience in developing, researching and influencing policy in both the government and Not-For-Profit sectors. Previously he held policy positions in the Oireachtas, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the CRU, as well as a number of NGOs. Jerry is a member of the National Economic and Social Council, the EPA Advisory Committee and EirGrid’s National Advisory Committee. Dr Sinead Walsh is Climate Director in the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Ireland. Prior to this she served as the EU Ambassador to South Sudan. Dr Walsh has worked for Ireland’s DFA since 2009, and previously served as the Ambassador of Ireland to Sierra Leone and Liberia and was the Head of Irish Aid in the two countries. Before joining the DFA, Sinead spent ten years working in the NGO sector and is the co-author of Getting to Zero: A Doctor and A Diplomat on the Ebola Frontline. Sam Peacock is the Managing Director, Corporate Services, Regulatory and Strategy at SSE. He has been a member of the SSE Group Executive Committee since 2020 and leads SSE’s teams overseeing corporate strategy, government and regulatory affairs, communications, brand, and local project communications. Prior to joining SSE in 2011, he directed government affairs at the UK Regulator, Ofgem and worked at leading communications agency Edelman, as well as in the UK Parliament and in the UK Government. Erin Maher is Lead Sustainability Strategist and Adviser at ENSO. ENSO is a certified B corporation that helps SMEs with ESG Strategy and regulatory preparedness. Erin holds a BSE from the University of Michigan in Climate Science and Impacts Engineering with a focus on climate adaptation, and a MSc in Development Practice from Trinity College Dublin. She is passionate about addressing the climate crisis in a just and equitable way, focusing on just transitions, accessibility and communication, and environmental justice. This event has been organised in conjunction with SSE.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

IIEA Talks

Related Podcasts

1

2

3

4

5

6