Konrad Adenauer Stiftung: 4th Eastern Platform Tartu Seminar April 6-7th: All Quiet on the Western Front? EU-Russia Relations in the Age of Populisms

The two-day seminar is organized by the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies of the University of Tartu draws on the experience of the Eastern Platform-Platform Ukraine, a multidisciplinary project based at the School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies (SSEES), University College London. The event is generously supported by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.

The Tartu Seminar “All Quiet on the Western Front? EU-Russia Relations in the Age of Populisms?” is the fourth of a series of annual events launched in 2015.

The seminar constitutes an opportunity for researchers and practitioners from very different disciplinary areas to debate and fruitfully discuss potential future practical and conceptual scenarios that might characterize the region in the years to come. It has also the ambition to shed light on the short- and mid-term evolution of the crisis in terms of bilateral relations (i.e. stabilization, normalization, and frozen conflict) and its impact on the nature of the EU-Russia relations. This year’s seminar will devote specific attention to the role played, in this context, by Europe’s resurging populism(s) and centrifugal forces as well as their transitive connection with Moscow.

The organizers of the seminar welcome contributions on the developments in the relations between EU, Russia, and the post-Soviet space and the respective interactions, from different disciplinary and methodological perspectives ranging from politics, history, economics, anthropology, sociology, geography, semiotics, and media studies.

While developments in and the turbulent relations between the EU and Russia, along with the role of resurging populisms will represent key foci of the event, they will not be the only ones and contributions that adopt a comparative perspective with other events and/or areas will be particularly welcome. Given the fortunate coincidence with the celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania’s independence, a thematic panel with be devoted to the Baltic perspective.

Contributions are expected to address the current developments, future patters, and relevant cleavages in the Eurasian political and cultural space. The seminar is aims not only to map the challenges to the unstable development of the EU-Russia relations, but also to understand and conceptually frame these challenges and their expansive potential within the former Soviet space and at the global level. Contributions are welcome addressing (but not limited to) the following issues:

• From Baltic to Caucasus: An Emerging "Illiberal Belt" and its Security Dimension;
• Multi-Vectoring Neighbourhood: Which Choice for Those who Do not Want to Choose?;
• Empowering the Margins? Rethinking Centre-Periphery Relations in Europe;
• Russia's Western Friends: Betting on the Wrong Horse?;
• From Berlin to Where? Electoral Developments in a post-Refugee Europe;
• 100 Years of Baltic Independence: Which Challenges Ahead?

Paper proposals (max. 150 words) can be submitted by February 15, 2018 via the submission system on the Seminar webpage or by e-mail directly to Dr Stefano Braghiroli (stefano.braghiroli@ut.ee). Selected paper proposals will be notified by February 17. Should you need more information please do not hesitate to contact Dr Stefano Braghiroli.