IIEA Talks

According to Dr Leah Rose Ely Downey, the power to create money is foundational to the state. In the United States, that power has been largely delegated to private banks governed by an independent central bank. Putting monetary policy in the hands of a set of insulated, non-elected experts has fuelled the popular rejection of expertise, as well as a widespread dissatisfaction with democratically elected officials. In her address to the IIEA, Dr Downey makes a principled case against central bank independence (CBI) by  challenging both the economic theory behind it and developing a democratic rationale for sustaining the power of the legislature to determine who can create money, and on what terms. She discusses how states governing money creation has an impact on the capacity of the people and their elected officials to steer policy over time and argues that in a healthy democracy, the balance of power over money creation matters. About the Speaker: Dr Leah Rose Ely Downey is a Junior Research Fellow at St. John's College, Cambridge affiliated with the Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS). Dr Downey is a political theorist with interests in the politics of economic theory, economic policymaking, and the administrative state. Her current research focuses on the democratic politics of monetary policy. Dr Downey is also the author of Our Money: Monetary Policy as if Democracy Matters. In September 2025, she will join the Department of Political Economy at King's College London.

As Ireland prepares for its EU Presidency in the second half of 2026, this keynote speech by Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović addresses the key topic of EU Enlargement. Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović presents Montenegro’s journey as the frontrunner in the European Union accession process, emphasising the country’s achievements, its enduring challenges and its clear vision for the future. From a Montenegrin perspective, EU integration is not merely a technical process, but a strategic and value-driven choice that reaffirms Montenegro’s European identity and its role as a regional leader on the path towards full membership. Speaker bio: Dr Filip Ivanović is the Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of Montenegro, a position he has held since July 2024. Prior to this post, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs. From May 2022 to August 2023, Dr Ivanović served as member of the Governing Board of the University of Montenegro. From 2018 to 2021, he was member of the Working Group for the Negotiations on Accession of Montenegro to the EU for Chapter 25 ‘Science and Research’. Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović has a distinguished academic career and was a research/teaching fellow at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the University of Leuven, the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem, and the University of Donja Gorica. In February 2020, Dr Ivanović was a visiting professor at the University of North Bengal and in April 2022, he was appointed assistant research professor at the Institute of Advanced Studies of the University of Montenegro. Since 2021, he has also been a visiting scholar at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in History of Ideas (CRISI) at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan. Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović is also an expert evaluator of the European Commission, expert of the Agency for Control and Quality Assurance of Higher Education of Montenegro, member of the College of Research Associates of the European Science Foundation, a fellow of the Young Academy of Europe and the Royal Historical Society, and member of the Committee for Philosophy and Sociology of the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts. He holds BA and MA degrees from the University of Bologna and a PhD from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. He also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Diplomatic Practice from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers her 2025 State of the Union Address, outlining the EU’s priorities for the year ahead. While the speech is a closely-guarded secret, it may cover issues such as enhancing Europe’s competitiveness, strengthening the EU’s security and defence capacity, building win-win trade partnerships, the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the European Democracy Shield and upholding the rule of law.  To mark this speech, the European Commission and the European Parliament, in conjunction with the IIEA, have live streamed the address, followed by a hybrid expert panel discussion which assesses the key themes explored and President von der Leyen’s outlook and priorities for 2026. Speakers: Paddy Smyth, Journalist and Former Europe Editor at The Irish Times (Moderator)   Frances Fitzgerald, Former Tánaiste and MEP Tom Hanney, Former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ireland to the EU  Brigid Laffan, Professor Emeritus, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute Cian Walsh, Secretary of the UCC Government and Politics Society and a Quercus Active Citizenship Scholar

In her keynote address to the IIEA, Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA, Minister for the Economy in Northern Ireland, discusses economic opportunities for Northern Ireland in the context of constitutional change and her priorities in her current role. Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA was appointed Minister for the Economy in the Northern Ireland Executive in February 2025.  Previously, she served as Finance Minister from February 2024. Minister Archibald graduated from Queen’s University, Belfast with a BSc in Molecular Biology and a PhD by research with a Department of Agriculture and Rural Development studentship.  She also completed a Postgraduate diploma in Management & Corporate Governance at Ulster University. Minister Archibald was elected as an MLA for East Derry in May 2016, re-elected in March 2017, and again in May 2022. She is formerly Chair of the Assembly’s Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, and Economy committees. Prior to being elected in May 2016, she worked for almost a decade in applied horticulture and plant pathology research including on collaborative EU funded projects.

In an era of profound geopolitical upheaval and sharpening rivalries, this session will examine the critical juncture at which Türkiye and Europe stand. In his address to the IIEA, His Excellency Hakan Fidan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, will set out Türkiye’s vision for a reinvigorated strategic partnership with the European Union. He will address the future of enlargement, defense and security cooperation, trade, and energy security as well as the wider regional challenges that define the European and global landscape. The discussion will underscore Türkiye’s pivotal role as a strategic partner and the urgent need for Europe and Türkiye to forge a common strategic horizon grounded in stability, resilience, and shared interests. Speaker bio: Hakan Fidan has been the Minister of Foreign Affairs since the presidential elections in May 2023. Prior to his current role, Minister Fidan held critical positions in the state administration in foreign policy and security domains. He served as the President of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, Deputy Undersecretary responsible for foreign policy and security issues at the Prime Ministry, Board Member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Undersecretary/Director of the National Intelligence Organization, and Special Representative of the President. Having graduated from the Turkish Military Academy and the Land Forces Language School, Minister Fidan pursued a significant part of his academic studies during his service in the Turkish Armed Forces. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland University College and master's and doctoral degrees from the Department of International Relations at Bilkent University. Following his service in the Turkish Armed Forces, Minister Fidan lectured in the field of international relations at Hacettepe University and Bilkent University.

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.