IIEA Talks

In this podcast, which is part of the IIEA’s Future-Proofing Europe Project and kindly supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, IIEA Researcher Dylan Marshall engaged with Judge Baker in a conversation on the link between the European Democracy Shield and safeguarding the integrity of elections. Judge Baker provided an overview of the role and powers of the Electoral Commission (An Coimisiún Toghcháin) as an independent statutory body, constrained by legislation, which is responsible for: · overseeing all elections and referendum campaigns in Ireland; · overseeing the realignment of constituency boundaries; · maintaining the register of political parties in Ireland; and · encouraging people to vote by explaining the electoral process and its education and research role. On its role of ensuring the fairness and integrity of electoral events, she highlighted the importance of procedures being followed correctly to ensure that everyone has access and the opportunity to exercise their franchise. Furthermore, Judge Baker referred to the links between the Electoral Commission and similar agencies in other European countries and explained how its work can feed into the formulation of the EU Democracy Shield, which is due to be presented this autumn by Michael McGrath, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection. Judge Baker discussed the Electoral Commission’s yet to be defined role in regulating online political information and advertising and discussed the Political Advertising Regulation, which will enter into force in October 2025, and the potential role that the Electoral Commission may have in its enforcement. In the context of regulating dis- and misinformation, Judge Baker underlined the importance of freedom of expression and its constitutional value and emphasised the importance of ensuring a balance between freedom of expression and regulation. Furthermore, she reflected on the role judicial oversight could have in ensuring respect for rights in this area, highlighting the importance of the rule of law and its link to democratic resilience. However, she emphasised the particular logistical difficulties that can arise with judicial redress around electoral events. Judge Baker emphasised the importance of education for citizens to enable them to engage with civil society and democratic processes and expressed the view that educational outreach can achieve much better outcomes in countering dis- and misinformation than regulation alone. She welcomed the high level of electoral literacy amongst Irish people and mentioned that radio programmes have proved to be an effective platform for reaching people in their daily life. Judge Baker briefly reflected on the upcoming Presidential elections in Ireland and stated that the procedures are neutral and robust, that the President’s ceremonial role should reflect the values of the population and must be taken seriously, and that the Electoral Commission has a role in ensuring that people know what the President can and cannot do. The conversation concluded with a discussion on the recently proposed motions, passed in the Northern Ireland Assembly and debated in Dáil Éireann, to expand the franchise in Irish Presidential elections to Irish citizens in Northern Ireland and on the potential logistical and structural challenges it could pose.

This podcast is part of the IIEA’s Future-Proofing Europe Project which is kindly supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Michael McGrath, as Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, launched the Commission’s Rule of Law Report 2025. The European Commission Rule of Law Reports first began in 2020, as the EU experienced a period of increasing decline in the rule of law. The Report was envisaged as an additional, preventative tool within the Commission’s Rule of Law Toolbox which could assess early warning signs of backsliding on the rule of law. Kersty McCourt argued that while the Commission’s Rule of Law Report is a useful resource, the challenge now facing the Commission is to link its assessments and recommendations with actions that are implemented quickly and robustly enough to steer Member States back towards greater respect for the Rule of Law. In the conversation, Kersty McCourt highlighted the particularly vulnerable position in which civil society across Europe now finds itself, where some governments, and even members of the European Parliament seek to discredit the work done by CSOs in support democracy, human rights and the rule of law. She warned that if these issues are not addressed, the EU will face a very dangerous trajectory over the next five years.

The European Commission’s much-anticipated Rule of Law Report was published on 8 July 2025. Since 2019, the Report has monitored developments in the rule of law in Member States and issues recommendations on how the Member States can improve judicial systems, anti-corruption frameworks, media pluralism, and other institutional checks and balances. In this IIEA webinar, Florian Geyer and Nicolaas Bel, Head and Deputy Head of Unit (respectively) at DG JUST in the European Commission, join Judge Marie Baker to discuss the Commission’s most recent findings and recommendations. They will present the new elements of the Report, including the innovative Single Market dimension, and discuss the connection between Rule of Law and securing EU funds. Speaker bios: Ms Justice Marie Baker serves as the first Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ireland. She was called to the Bar of Ireland in 1984 and was made a judge of the High Court of Ireland in 2014. She was a judge of the Court of Appeal of Ireland from 2018 until she was appointed to the Supreme Court of Ireland in 2019 where she sat until her retirement in 2024. She has lectured in law at University College Cork and Dublin City University. Florian Geyer is a lawyer who has worked for the European Commission for more than fifteen years in various Directorates-General. Before joining the Commission, he was a Research Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels and a senior research assistant in public law at the University of Trier, Germany. Since 2021, he has been the Head of Unit responsible for rule of law in the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers of the European Commission. Nicolaas Bel is a lawyer and has been working for the European Commission for some twenty years in various Directorates-General. Before joining the Commission, he worked in the legal department of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since 2019, he has been the Deputy Head of Unit responsible for the rule of law in the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers of the European Commission.

In his address to the IIEA, Richard Browne, Director of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), outlines the current cyber risk environment facing Ireland, explain the present work of the NCSC, and sets out the upcoming challenges that the next National Cyber Security Strategy will seek to address. Richard Browne has been Director of the NCSC since 2022.

At a time when conflict and violence have forced an unprecedented number of people to flee their homes and countries, Filippo Grandi will argue that cuts to humanitarian aid and development budgets and the erosion of trust in multilateral institutions only contribute to further exacerbate instability. He will highlight how refugees have become pawns in political debates, rather than recipients of the protection and assistance they need, and to which they are entitled. Mr Grandi will explain UNHCR's mandate and function in responding to displacement emergencies, highlight its role in supporting countries in reacting effectively – and legally – to the challenges posed by forced displacement, and emphasise the indispensable role that humanitarian intervention plays in the arc of diplomacy. About the Speaker: Filippo Grandi is the 11th United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He was first elected by the UN General Assembly on 1 January 2016 for a five-year term. Since then, the General Assembly has twice re-elected him to this post, and he will complete his term of office on 31 December 2025. He has been engaged in refugee and humanitarian work for more than 30 years and has served as Commissioner-General of the UN Agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Afghanistan, and has worked with NGOs and UNHCR in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

Jim O’Callaghan is the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. He was elected to Dáil Éireann for the constituency of Dublin Bay South in the general elections of 2016, 2020 and 2024. Previously, he had been a councillor on Dublin City Council. He has served as a member and Chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Justice and was also a member of the Oireachtas Finance and Education Committees. He has been the Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Justice since 2016. He is a law graduate (BCL) of University College Dublin and attained a Master of Law (LLM) degree and a Master in Philosophy (M.Phil) degree in Criminology from the University of Cambridge. He also holds a Barrister-at-Law degree from the King’s Inns and has been a Senior Counsel since 2008.

Against the backdrop of growing uncertainty in global markets, Ireland faces a number of challenges which could impact its domestic economy. Trade relations are ostensibly deteriorating as tariffs loom, meanwhile EU Member States have grown increasingly concerned about Europe’s competitiveness. In his remarks to the IIEA, Feargal O’Rourke, Chairperson of the IDA, discusses what this growing uncertainty may mean for Ireland, and how Ireland can ensure that it remains an attractive place for businesses and industry. About the Speaker: Feargal O’Rourke currently serves as Chairperson of the IDA, the Irish State agency responsible for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). He also serves as Chair of the board of the Institute of International and European Affairs. Previously, Mr O’Rourke was Managing Partner of PwC in Ireland from 2015 until 2023. Over a 37-year career, he specialised in FDI, focusing on assisting US-based companies to set up in Ireland and Europe. While at PwC, he led their tax practice and was heavily involved in the OECD BEPS process. In 2024, he published From Rags to Riches: The Irish Men’s Team in the Professional Era, an account of the history of the Irish Men’s Rugby team from 1995.

Oppressive governments are reaching across borders to harass and persecute their citizens and exiles. Transnational repression has become a normal and institutionalised practice for dozens of countries that seek to control their citizens abroad. This repression can include intimidation, harassment, abductions, and assassinations. In this event, Yana Gorokhovskaia, Research Director, Strategy and Design, at Freedom House, outlines findings from work undertaken by Freedom House on the subject of transnational repression over the last decade, and reflects on how democracies can respond. Yana Gorokhovskaia is a Research Director at Freedom House and leads work across several portfolios on the Research and Analysis team. She has co-authored several Freedom House reports on transnational repression. Her analysis has also been published in Foreign Affairs, The Guardian, The Washington Post, Politico, Journal of Democracy, Just Security, Huffington Post, and many other publications. Prior to joining Freedom House, Yana worked as an academic analyzing protest and politics in post-Soviet states. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of British Columbia and was a postdoctoral scholar at Columbia University until 2019.

On 3-4 April 2025, the first ever EU-Central Asia Summit took place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. At the summit, political leaders of the EU and Central Asian countries took the landmark step to upgrade relations between the two regions to a strategic partnership. In this IIEA webinar, Eduards Stiprais, EU Special Representative for Central Asia, addresses what it means to have a strategic partnership between these two regions, what is the reason behind it, and how the EU can achieve and maintain this level of partnership in the future. Central Asia over its recent history has been closely related to Europe. This is especially true in relation to people-to-people contact and educational, cultural and touristic exchanges. However, Ambassador Stiprais underscores the need to realise the full potential of cooperation between the EU and Central Asia and speaks about why the EU must continue to build up its partnerships around the world patiently and meticulously. About the Speaker: Ambassador Eduards Stiprais joined the Latvian Diplomatic Service in 1993. He served in a variety of positions including as Head of the EU delegation in Uzbekistan (2016-2020) Tashkent, as the Permanent Representative of Latvia to the EU and as the Ambassador of the Republic of Latvia to the United Kingdom, as well as to France. Ambassador Stiprais assumed his role as EU Special Representative for Central Asia in March 2025. Throughout his career, Ambassador Stiprais received several national and foreign awards and decorations. He has contributed to numerous publications on matters of European integration and the wider international agenda.

In a bid to ensure both fairness and competitiveness, EU policymakers have been grappling with how best to protect consumers online while also boosting the digital economy. Digital services and online marketplaces, advertising, and personalisation have facilitated business growth and innovation but have also driven concerns about risks for consumers and about the misuse of personal data. Policymakers are now seeking to address these issues through initiatives such as the anticipated Digital Fairness Act while also proposing regulatory simplification to ease burdens on businesses - potentially requiring that a delicate balance be struck. In this event an expert panel will discuss if and how the EU can enhance digital fairness and consumer protection without harming innovation or widening the competitiveness gap between European firms and their international rivals. This event is organised by the IIEA and supported by Google. The panel for this event includes: Vanessa Hartley, Head of Google Ireland and Vice President for Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Large Customer Sales; Síona Ryan, Director of Digital and Data Regulation, Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC); Marco Pierani, Director of Public Affairs and Media Relations, Euroconsumers; Regina Doherty, MEP